The National Football team Harambee Stars is expected to show its full potential and return to winning ways today afternoon against a lowly ranked Pakistan team at the Anjalay Stadium in Mauritius, in the four nations tournament that kicked off last Saturday.
This will be the first ever meeting between the two sides and Harambee Stars head coach Engin Firat will be looking to amend mistakes that were witnessed in their last outing against Iran last March in Tehran where they went down 2-1.
Team news
Harambee Stars will be without five crucial players who were in the starting line-up against Iran due injuries, club commitments and technical omissions by the coach.
In a press conference before departure in Nairobi coach Firat noted that he has set his sight on the future hinting that he will be giving the new faces in the team a chance to test their abilities.
“I am not looking at the moment, my main objective is to prepare for the future. I have a lot of players who are below the age of 23 and therefore it is good for them to be ready since they can help me for the future and I expect them to grab the opportunity and show me what they can offer to the team. They need to get a feel of international experience,” coach Firat told People Daily Sport.
Some of the new faces in the team include Moses Shummah, Benson Omalla, Bonface Omondi, Joseph Mwangi and Kevin Luke Otiala, all set to make senior Harambee Stars debuts.
Dependable starters in defense Joseph Okumu, Brian Mandela and forward Masud Juma did not travel with the team due to injuries while Kenya Police duo of goalkeeper Patrick Matasi and play-maker Duke Abuya did not receive call ups for the Mauritius tournament.
Azam FC midfielder Kenneth Muguna who was expected to link up with the team in Mauritius was not included in the final team list in what is believed as an injury scare. The former Gor Mahia captain also missed Azam’s game against Young Africans on Monday evening in Tanzania FA Cup final played in the coastal town of Tanga.
Form guide
Coach Engin Firat will be keen to register his second win in six matches since his appointment.
Under his care, Kenya lost two World Cup qualifiers against Mali, home and away. He got a breather by drawing away against Uganda in Kampala, a match that Harambee Stars deserved to win by merit.
Firat led the team to a 2-1 victory against Rwanda in November 2021 just before Kenya’s FIFA suspension. The latest match was a 2-1 loss against a highly ranked Iran in Tehran.
Pakistan which stands at position 195 in the latest FIFA ranking is deep on a losing streak having gone down in the last seven matches. While Kenya would arguably struggle with match fitness, Pakistan has already tested the Mauritius tournament, losing 3-0 on Saturday against the hosts.
The last time they won a match was against Bhutan in 2018 during the South Asia Football Championships.
Probable line-ups
With Matasi out of the squad, Zesco United’s Ian Otieno is expected to start in between the sticks.
There will be a massive shake-up in the defense caused by the absence of Okumu and Mandela.
David Cheche Ochieng who sat out entirely during the Iran match is highly anticipated to man the department in tomorrow’s assignment. He could be paired with Robinson Kamura who is returning to the team for the first time since 2018.
Regulars Eric Marcelo Ouma and Daniel Sakari could be considered to take charge of the flanks although Amos Nondi and Aboud Omar are also fit for selection. Experienced midfielder Teddy Akumu and Richard Odada are expected to grab starting roles in the midfield with skipper Michael Olunga who is poised for a milestone 50th cap for Kenya leading the goal hunt.
Harambee Stars
Ian Otieno,Daniel Sakari,Eric Ouma,Robinson Kamura,David Ochieng,Richard Odada,Abdala Hassan,Teddy Akumu,Michael Olunga,Victor Omune,Cliffton Miheso.
Pakistan
Yussuf Butt,Omer Hayat,Mamoon Khan,Haseeb Khan,Abdulah Shah,Rahis Nabi,Alamghir Ghazi,Harun Hamid,Adnan Mohamed,Otis Khan,Abdul Arshad.
Match: Kenya v Pakistan
Venue: Anjalay Stadium,Belle Vue Harel
Kick off: 4:30 PM (East Africa)
