Reclusive Kenya face exposure against Lesotho

PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO Harambee Stars players sing the National Anthem from the bench on July 15, 2014 before their friendly match against Burundi at Nyayo Stadium. Kenya face Lesotho on July 20, 2014 in Maseru.

What you need to know:

  • Signs that all is not well could be felt when Harambee Stars converged in camp to prepare for this tie a fortnight back.
  • Many journalists have been banished from accessing the team’s training sessions. In one incident, a photo journalist was reportedly threatened by City Stadium security team where the team was training and chased away.

Kenyans from all walks of life will be backing their national football team to put down Lesotho Sunday evening as the race to qualify for next year’s Africa Nations Cup gathers pace.

This is despite a seemingly unannounced policy by the Harambee Stars camp to keep mum about their preparations and to avoid any and all media engagements.

Signs that all is not well could be felt when Harambee Stars converged in camp to prepare for this tie a fortnight back.

At the time, the team’s technical bench remained tight-lipped on the composition of the called up players contrary to the norm the world over, and despite constant querying by the media.

Then word filtered through later that the team’s head coach Adel Amrouche had gagged all the players in camp from offering interviews to the Fourth Estate.

These reports seemed accurate days later when all the players - with the exception of MacDonald Mariga - ignored the waiting battery of journalists and walked off the Nyayo Stadium after the barren draw against Burundi in an international friendly last Tuesday.

Many journalists have been banished from accessing the team’s training sessions. In one incident, a photo journalist was reportedly threatened by City Stadium security team where the team was training and chased away.

Stars management did not bother to give a training schedule nor inform the media of when and were they would be allowed to cover the team and or interview the squad members.

Whatever secret tactics the team has presumably been learning, the day of reckoning is Sunday as they chase for a win that will put them through to the group stage of the qualifiers.

None of these events will turn up becoming huge concerns if Harambee Stars coach Amrouche – who is serving a two-match ban - manages to tactically outfox his opposite number Seephephe Matete at the Setsotso Stadium.