By OUR CORRESPONDENT
Harambee Stars will miss four key defenders in the two World Cup qualifiers against Gabon and Seychelles.
Head coach Engin Firat on Monday confirmed that Joseph Okumu, Erick Ouma, Daniel Anyembe, Brian Mandela, and Collins Sichenje are all injured and will miss the two crucial games.
Mandela who plays for South Africa giants Mamelodi Sundowns and Sichenje was not part of the squad called up for the games.
Mandela is set to undergo a foot injury in the next two weeks according to media reports.
“Joseph Okumu got a knock in his last league game and had an MRI today, Daniel Anyembe is also injured while Brian Mandela is not in the team this time. Collins Sichenje recently had surgery on his knee while Erick Ouma is also injured. We have a huge crisis but I am confident we shall make do with the boys we will have available,” he told reporters in Nairobi.
“Anyembe is a very important player for us, but he is injured and now training with his physio. We will try to look for solutions like we did against Russia. We hope to have him in future assignments,” Firat added.
On captain Michael Olunga’s failure to score in recent games, coach Firat said:
“In Qatar, Olunga didn’t score, but he changed the result of the game. If people don’t understand, they should go and play the PlayStation. Mike is so important for this country, he does big things to represent his country. For me as a coach, I will never put Olunga out, there’s no player of his level in Kenya at the moment. Even Masud is not near his level. Even if other people think we have players like Didier Drogba, I don’t believe it.”
Kenya is set to Depart for Gabon has been slated for Wednesday, November 15, 2023, at 8 am. Stars will play against Gabon on Thursday, November 16, 2023, in Franceville, and then face Seychelles on Monday, November 20, 2023 in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.
Kenya has been drawn in Group F of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers against Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, Gambia, Burundi, and Seychelles.
