Kenya down Seychelles, E. Guinea hold Ivorians

Bobby Williamson recorded his first victory as Harambee Stars head coach when the national team beat Seychelles 2-0 in an international friendly at the Linite Stadium in the island’s capital of Victoria on Sunday evening.

Sofapaka defender Collins Shivachi and Mathare United youngster Vincent Odongo were on target for the good result as the team prepares for the 2016 Rio Olympics qualifier against Botswana next month. 

The national team has suffered several losses since the Scot took over from Adel Amrouche late last year, the last being a 4-1 aggregate loss to The Pharaohs of Egypt who eliminated Kenya from this year’s All Africa Games.

“We were the better side. We took control of the match from opening whistle and never looked back,” Stars assistant coach Musa Otieno said.

The tacticians had opted to leave out the senior players from this fixture and stuck with the national junior side that featured the likes of Michael Olunga (Gor Mahia), Enoch Agwanda (Sofapaka) and Timothy Otieno (Gor).

Seychelles sit 60 places below Kenya in the Fifa world rankings, and the last time the two teams met was during the World Cup qualifiers in 2011 where Kenya beat them 7-0 on aggregate.

PARTY-POOPERS

The Kenyan team is expected back on Tuesday afternoon and they will get into residential training in readiness for their opponents from Botswana.

Elsewhere, Equatorial Guinea became party-poopers on Sunday at the ongoing celebrations of new African football champions Ivory Coast by forcing a 1-1 international friendly draw in Abidjan.

Spain-born teenage winger Ivan Salvador put the visitors ahead after 13 minutes at a vibrant, near-full Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny.

And dogged Equatoguinean resistance kept reigning African Footballer of the Year Yaya Toure, Wilfried Bony and other Ivorian stars at bay until 18 minutes from time when Max-Alain Gradel levelled.

It was the second friendly match within four days for both countries.