Migne hits out at critics: 'I pick players who can help my team'
What you need to know:
- He spoke on Thursday at Safari Park Hotel when he named a 27-man squad to travel to France on Friday for a three-week training camp ahead of next month’s Africa Cup of Nations.
Harambee Stars coach Sebastien Migne has hit out at local-based coaches who have appeared to criticise his team selection in recent times.
He spoke on Thursday at Safari Park Hotel when he named a 27-man squad to travel to France on Friday for a three-week training camp ahead of next month’s Africa Cup of Nations.
While appearing to hit out at Gor Mahia coach Hassan Oktay, Migne explained his main job is to promote Kenyan football, and not appear to be supporting any particular club.
“I am not a Gor Mahia or AFC Leopards or Kariobangi Sharks fan,” said Migne.
“I pick players who can help my team and improve the prospects of the country.
“Three months ago nobody imagined we will be in this situation. I did not talk about the issues at Gor Mahia because I only focus on how the Kenyan players at Gor Mahia perform on the pitch.”
Oktay recently said that more players from his club should be included in Stars squad.
He said: “I believe (Kenneth) Muguna and (Harun) Shakava would have made it to the team courtesy of scintillating club form.”
Former Harambee Stars coach Jacob Mulee, who in fact took the team to the 2004 Africa Cup of Nations finals in Tunisia, also voiced reservations with Migne’s selection. Renown coach Bob Oyugi also took to social media to criticise Migne’s picks saying the team belonged to all Kenyans and that the Frenchman was jeopardising Stars chances of going far in Egypt.
FKF president Nick Mwendwa has also backed Migne, and asserted the coach had not been coerced into selecting certain players.
