It is business again as
Harambee Stars seek to qualify for the 2014 global soccer bonanza in Brazil. Saturday’s
match against the Flames of Malawi marks the start of this treacherous,
challenge- laden road to the World Cup.
It is sad that to date, our
national soccer team has never graced the same stage alongside the world’s best
football talent. This is despite the fact that we have had an array of stars to
have donned the national colours, and even matched against Africa’s best in the
yester years. From Joe Kadenge, Francis Onyiso, Musa Otieno to UEFA Champions
League winner, Macdonald Mariga and Dennis Oliech; the country’s first pioneer
footballers to have played in the prestigious UEFA Champions League. Victor
Mugabe of Scottish champions, Celtic will also be playing in this prestigious
club competition next season. It is indeed sad that this class of the country’s
football crème de la crème is yet to play in the World Cup, the highest stage
that every footballer dreams of playing at.
Saturday’s match at the now
refurbished Moi International Sports Centre, MISC should set us on the right
footing to qualify for the World Cup in Brazil. We should accord Kimanzi and
his charges all the support that they need; from financial support to the
invaluable home morale, that the fans have tirelessly continued to give.
Saturday should be no different.
Football Kenya Federation,
FKF should ensure that the team is in the best shape for a gruelling
qualification campaign. The fact that in our group are Togo’s Hawks and Nigeria’s
Super Eagles; two of the country’s football giants, makes the task even more
daunting. The other team Namibia have also been a difficult opponent for Stars
in recent years. They are best remembered for extinguishing our hopes of
playing in France 98, following a loss for the Stars in Nairobi, a defeat that proved
too costly. A subsequent loss against
Super Eagles in Lagos finally put paid our hopes of making it to the 1998 World
Cup in France. Despite all this, qualification is still possible, albeit with
the right preparations.
FKF should set out to pay
the players’ allowances well in advance, besides sorting out other logistical
issues. This will ensure that the players have nothing to worry about and only
focus on the task ahead. The team should be accorded ample preparations and get
the right friendly matches that will help it match up against continental
giants, the Super Eagles of Nigeria, in this group.
Team captain, Dennis Oliech’s
decision to rescind his retirement and lead the national team once again, is
welcome news. He has been our most consistent performer in the national team,
since he broke into the scene in late 2003, when his last minute winner against
Cape Verde, in Nairobi, took us to the 2004 Africa Nations Cup in Tunisia. The
rest of the team is equally talented and up to the task.
Past campaigns have ended
in disappointments and heartbreaks. Since the 2004 Nations Cup in Tunisia, we
have failed to qualify for four consecutive editions. To rub salt onto this
wound, we have never come close to qualifying for the World Cup. Once a
continental powerhouse, we have become underdogs of African football. Our dominance
of the game in the region has also been watered down by Uganda’s Cranes. Our
game has changed from a win some lose some to a lose all win none game. We can
longer match up against the continent’s best. Saturday’s match gives us the
opportunity to change this course.
We have to win on Saturday and boost our
chances before we meet Togo, Namibia and Nigeria in the next matches. Zambia’s
feat as the current African champions should inspire us. The fact that they slain
the likes of Ghana’s Black Stars and Cote D’Ivoire’s Elephants on their way to
glory, should instil the belief that we
can do the same against the Super Eagles, albeit after adequate preparations. The
giants of African soccer are fallible just like any other team. Togo and
Nigeria are no different.
However, we must sacrifice
for our national team to bring back the glory of yester years. As a nation, let
us all rally behind our boys on Saturday and cheer them to victory against the
visiting Malawians. Let us to Kasarani in our thousands, and give Stars the
much- needed home support. Kimanzi and his charges are able and yes, we must believe
in this cause. Allez!
Allez! Allez! Stars.
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