U-23 lads seek to overturn deficit in Games qualifiers

Kenyatta Stadium in Machakos. FILE PHOTO |

What you need to know:

  • Kenya lost 3-0 to Egypt in the opening encounter last Sunday.
  • Team manager Simon Mulama however refuses to believe that they are out of the competition.

Kenya Under-23 football team faces an uphill task this Sunday in Machakos as they seek to overturn a huge first leg deficit against Egypt in the qualifiers of the 2015 All Africa Games.

Kenya lost 3-0 to Egypt in the opening encounter last Sunday, meaning that they will have to score four unanswered goals at the Kenyatta Stadium in Machakos to advance in the competition.

Team manager Simon Mulama however refuses to believe that they are out of the competition and remains positive that they can overturn the results during the home match.

“We know that we have a very difficult assignment ahead of us, but difficult is not impossible. The match requires full effort from all departments. The players should remain confident because we can match our opponents and record a good result after the match,” he said.

Mulama said the fact they conceded three goals should not be construed to mean that they were outplayed.

“The Pharaohs are a very solid team and they are particularly gifted on the technical front. However, they have weaknesses which we can capitalize on and win. The only reason they beat us in the first leg is they made better use of their chances while our team was a bit wasteful,” he said.

The former Kenya international confirmed that the seven premier league players who missed Sunday’s match due to club assignments will be up for selection in the home return leg.