Kenya's Africa Youth team adjusts to loss of 13 age-barred players

PHOTO | KEVIN ODIT Bandari's Mohammed Shariff (left) vies the ball with Thika United's Michael Olunga during their Kenyan Premier League match at Mbaraki grounds in Mombasa March 15, 2014.

What you need to know:

  • Kenya will, however, have to do without 13 dependable players including Peter Odhiambo, Vincent Omumbo, Michael Olunga and David King’atua who are ineligible to compete after they were found to be above the age limit permitted for the tournament.
  • The Tanzania youth team is also known as Ngorongoro Heroes.

Kenya Under-20 team will camp in Machakos for two days ahead of their Africa Youth Championship qualifier against Tanzania on Sunday.

Kenya will, however, have to do without 13 dependable players including Peter Odhiambo, Vincent Omumbo, Michael Olunga and David King’atua who are ineligible to compete after they were found to be above the age limit permitted for the tournament.

The competition’s rules only allow for players who were born on or after January 1, 1995. The tie will be held at Machako’s Kenyatta Stadium that is increasingly being favoured by football administrators to host high profile matches.

Kenya coach John Kamau is confident the two-week-long preparations held at Kasarani prior to their relocation, will be vital as he seeks to accumulate a clear advantage ahead of the second leg in Dar es Salaam. 

“Save for a few issues, we have managed to cover most areas of training and preparations as per the schedule we had set.

“The boys are now almost ready to put up a good fight,” Kamau told Daily Nation Sport. The team’s technical bench has handed call-ups to Samuel Muringu, Joel Gachoka, Brian Yator and Amos Asembeka as replacements for the age-barred players.

Kenya’s opponents arrived in the country yesterday morning in readiness for the clash with team skipper Aisha Manula hinting at an aggregate approach for his team.

The Tanzania youth team is also known as Ngorongoro Heroes.

Match tickets will retail at Sh500 for the VIP and Sh200 for the terraces. A difficult looking match-up against past winners Nigeria awaits the winner of this two-legged clash. Fans have been urged to turn out in large numbers and support the home team.