Why the Stars lost to Bissau whipping boys

Harambee Stars players left Bissau last night after their flight failed to take off earlier in the day due to bad weather as sources within the team talked of a players’ revolt over decisions made by head coach Twahir Muhiddin.

The team had been expected back home early Monday morning after their 1-0 loss to the hosts in a 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier on Saturday but, according to the travelling party’s head of delegation, Hussein Swaleh, they could not leave Bissau as planned.

“There was a plane that was to airlift us to Dakar but it could not land in Bissau due to bad weather. We now don’t know when we will leave. We just hope the weather will get better,” said Swaleh before the team eventually flew out at 7pm Monday night.

According to information from the team, a section of the players were unhappy over the appointment of Dennis Oliech as captain yet the AJ Auxerre striker never appeared for training before the trip.

Initially, Robert Mambo had been given the arm band only for coach Muhiddin to hand the captaincy to Oliech moments before kick off. Mambo, who plays in Sweden, was not fielded in the game.

The players were reportedly also unhappy with Muhiddin’s fielding and substitutions during the game. Swaleh has said he will recommend changes to the team’s technical bench before their next game against Uganda on October 9.

The team nearly failed to travel in time for the game due to failure by the Football Kenya Limited to get tickets in time.

As a result, the squad left on Friday morning and arrived in Bissau late in the night. The players did not hold any training session ahead of the match.

On Monday, there was growing outrage over Kenya’s loss to the poorly ranked Guinea Bissau.

Naivasha MP John Mututho called for a total overhaul of football administration in the country.

“We cannot continue losing like this. We need to get to the root of what is ailing our football. It’s a big shame to lose to a team like Guinea Bissau. This is the best opportunity to take corrective action and get rid our football of officials who have mismanaged the game,” he said.

Kenya, who last appeared in the Africa Cup of Nations in 2004 in Tunisia, now lie third in the group that is led by Uganda who hammered Angola 3-0.

“It’s a mountain now we have to climb but it’s not over. We can recover and make it to the Cup of Nations,” said FKL secretary Patrick Naggi.

Stars will take a week off and return to camp in preparation for their next game against Uganda in Nairobi next month.

The team will continue camping at the Sabina Country Inn in Karen and train at the Marist International College according to Naggi.

“We will accord the team every necessary support to ensure they make it to the Cup of Nations finals.”