Kenyans look on with renewed hope as Stars face Sierra Leone
Harambee Stars coach Stanley Okumbi (right) gives instructions to defender Musa Mohammed during their training session on June 7, 2017 at Kenyatta Stadium, Machakos ahead of their 2019 Africa Cup of Nations Qualifying match against Sierra Leone. PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO |
What you need to know:
- Kenya last appeared in the Cup of Nations in 2004 in Tunisia and since then, the local football fans have endured six consecutive heartbreaking qualifying campaigns.
- Last year’s campaign was particularly embarrassing, as Kenya wound up at the tail end of their group behind Guinea Bissau, Republic of Congo and Zambia having won just one of their six games and lost three.
- Before departing for Freetown, Wanyama assured that the task at hand is achievable.
At exactly 7.30pm on Saturday, Kenyans will watch with renewed hope as Harambee Stars face Sierra Leone at the Siaka Stevens stadium in their opening match of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.
As they follow proceedings from Freetown, about 6,000km away from Nairobi, they will be praying disparately for victory, a win that could spur the nation’s shattered dreams of failing to secure a ticket to continental competition in the last 13 years.
Kenya last appeared in the Cup of Nations in 2004 in Tunisia and since then, the local football fans have endured six consecutive heartbreaking qualifying campaigns.
The qualifying campaign to the 2017 Nations Cup was particularly embarrassing, as Kenya wound up at the tail end of their group behind Guinea Bissau, Republic of Congo and Zambia having won just one of their six games and lost three.
The home and away loss to lowly ranked Guinea Bissau catapulted the Portuguese-speaking to the 2017 Nations Cup in Gabon.
Memories of that excruciating campaign, made worse by the five other missed opportunities in the last 13 years, make Saturday’s encounter vital for Stars head coach Stanley Okumbi.
Okumbi is the man to whom the weight of an expectant nation falls on. His unbeaten record with the national team now incorporates 11 games, although none of those games helped Kenya qualify for any major competition.
Saturday’s clash therefore presents him with the chance to prove his critics wrong. To guide the team to victory when it matters the most. To set the country off to a winning start.
"I'd like people to forget about the challenges they (Sierra Leone) are going through. I want them to forget our position on the Fifa rankings and I want them to forget our disappointing run in last year's Afcon qualifiers,” he said shortly before departing for Freetown on Thursday.
Captain Victor Wanyama is the only player in the current Stars squad who has witnessed firsthand the disappointment that each of the six failed qualifiers have brought.
Before departing for Freetown, Wanyama assured that the task at hand is achievable.
“It is do-or-die. I am hopeful that we can avoid a woeful start and we are ready for the game. We have had a good streak so far and I feel like this time we have a real chance if we start well,” he said.
Probable Starting XI:
Boniface Oluoch, Erick Ouma, Musa Mohammed, David Owino, Brian Mandela, David Ochieng, Teddy Akumu, Victor Wanyama, Ayub Timbe, Eric Johanna, Michael Olunga
