Kenya to focus on 2019 Nations Cup after poor run

Harambee Stars' Amos Nondi dribbles past teammate Peter Nzuki during a training session on August 17, 2016 in Ruaraka, Nairobi. PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • By failing to clinch Group E ticket which went to minnows Guinea Bissau, the Stars shot themselves on the foot on what was arguably an open group.
  • Guinea clinched their Nations Cup finals ticket on 10 points, while Congo finished on nine, two ahead of Zambia. Stars finished rock bottom on five points.
  • Stars will be thrust in the international football cold for close to one year until when the qualifiers for the 2019 begin next year.
  • Former international Boniface Ambani opines that priority should shift on thorough preparations.

After failing in their quest to qualify for the 2017 African Cup of Nations finals, Harambee Stars will shift focus to the 32nd edition of the continental football bonanza to be hosted by Cameroon in January, 2019.

By failing to clinch Group E ticket which went to minnows Guinea Bissau, the Stars shot themselves on the foot on what was arguably an open group which also had Congo’s Red Devils and Zambia's Chipolopolo.

Guinea clinched their Nations Cup finals ticket on 10 points, while Congo finished on nine, two ahead of Zambia. Stars finished rock bottom on five points.

With the Stars failure came the high price of being thrust in the international football cold for close to one year until when the qualifiers for the 2019 begin sometime next year.

The Stars also failed to advance to the group stages of the 2018 World Cup qualifiers which would have otherwise kept them busy. The Stanley Okumbi coached side beat Cape Verde 1-0 at home in the first leg in November 13, 2015, only to blow it all up after falling 2-0 away in the return fixture to end their World Cup journey at the first hurdle.

THE LONG WAIT

And with the Afcon exit, the long wait of making a return to the continental showpiece is set to stretch to an agonising 15 years, that is, if they claim the ticket in 2019.

“We are going to be active, we want to qualify for 2019 Afcon. We already have a friendly lined up in October in West Africa and another against a European team in November,” Football Kenya Federation's general secretary Robert Muthomi said on Monday of the team’s plans.

In 2004, when the Stars brushed shoulders with the continents best in Tunis, Tunisia, under coach Jacob ‘Ghost’ Mulee, they lost 3-0 to Senegal, fell 3-1 to Mali before beating Burkina Faso 3-0 in the final group match with Dennis Oliech, John Baraza and Emmanuel Ake scoring the goals.

Harambee Stars now face a restless fan base hurting from over a decade of misses. Former international Boniface Ambani, who featured for the team under the late German coach Reinhardt Fabisch and Mulee opines that priority should shift on thorough preparations.

“We must cobble up a good team by being active in every international calendar. We need to play highly ranked teams in the continent and also widen our scope to teams in Europe,” he said.

“Doing so will build the team’s confidence. We also need consistency in the technical bench; we must stop the habit of hiring and firing coaches at will.”

With build-ups, the Stars did not lose their last two qualifying matches. They beat Congo 2-1 at home after two warm-up matches against Sudan and Tanzania before holding Zambia on Sunday after another warm-up match with Uganda Cranes in Kampala.