UK-based Sesay ‘100 per cent ready’ for Kenya call-up

What you need to know:

  • The team is also pooled alongside Uganda, Rwanda and Mali in the 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifiers.
  • League Two is England's fourth tier football league.

Crawley Town's English defender David Sesay has seemingly had a change of heart on playing for Kenya.

While responding to questions from his fans on the English club's official Twitter account on Wednesday, the League Two defender said that he is now ready to answer a call up from Kenya’s Harambee Stars coach Francis Kimanzi.

“I will hundred per cent accept the call up from Kenya,” he confirmed.

The 21-year-old defender was called up for international duty by then Stars coach Sebastien Migne in the run up to the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt last year, but declined the invite to concentrate on his club career.

Sesay explained he had to make a difficult decision in turning down the opportunity to compete at the Africa Nations Cup in Cairo, where Kenya lost to eventual finalists Senegal and Algeria, and beat rivals Tanzania in Group “C”, as he was focused in helping his side battle relegation at the time.

"That (Kenya) is where my mum comes from. It is my heritage. Last time I had just broken into the first team here and was playing games in a row," said Sesay.

“We were not in the best position in the league. There were some few media outlets in Kenya that said I declined the call up, that wasn't the case.
I think those that needed to understand my decision did understand.”

Should Kimanzi hand the West Bromwich Albion-target a chance in his team, he will have to compete for a starting position at left-back with Sweden based defender Eric “Marcelo” Ouma, and veteran Aboud Omar who is unattached.

Stars face a congested fixture period when the coronavirus pandemic is curbed, with matches against Comoros, Egypt and Togo in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

The team is also pooled alongside Uganda, Rwanda and Mali in the 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifiers.

League Two is England's fourth tier football league.