Harambee Stars will be bolder in Ndola, says Okumbi

Harambee Stars defender David 'Calabar' Owino (left) tackles Zambia's Rainford Kalaba during their 2017 Africa Cup of Nations match at Nyayo National Stadium on September 6, 2015. PHOTO | MARTIN MUKANGU |

What you need to know:

  • Upbeat visitors get a feel of local conditions in Zambia
  • Coach Okumbi rues poor start to the campaign but promises fireworks from Kenya in Ndola

Harambee Stars coach Stanley Okumbi Friday said the team with better tactics will win Sunday’s 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier between Kenya and Zambia in Ndola.

Speaking to Saturday Nation Sport a few hours after landing in Ndola, Okumbi said his charges were ready for the duel with the Chipolopolo.

Okumbi says that he was up for a good tactical challenge even as both teams played for pride.

Stars held a morning training session in Ndola where Okumbi said that while everyone else was viewing it as a dead-rubber match, he was looking forward to experimenting with new tactics against the Chipolopolo.

“People don’t seem to realise that we are improving every day, because we started this campaign badly and lost hope of making it to the finals early. We have gathered a number of good results and I believe it is time we became bolder in our approach to such games,” said Okumbi.

“I am taking this match very seriously. We may have lost in the first leg, but we still have to give our best. Zambia are a good side and we are interested in ensuring that our world rankings remain high up there. Higher than Zambia.”

Stars have been on a sort of resurgence lately, drawing 1-1 with both Tanzania and Sudan in international friendly matches before beating Congo Brazzaville 2-1 in their last qualifier.

As part of their preparations for this final qualifier for the Afcon finals to be held next January in Gabon, Stars held Ugandan Cranes, who are ranked 23 places above them, to a barren draw in another friendly match on Tuesday in Kampala.

“We could have won that match. We were the ones who controlled possession and we had the most shots on target. We subdued them all through,” Okumbi said.

The last time the two teams met was on September 6 last year at the Nyayo National Stadium where Zambia won 2-1.

The circumstances are however quite different now, as Stars have not lost in the last four games, while Zambia have been dogged by a string of poor results.