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Kenya/Malawi: Soccer - Confident Stars Ready for Trip to Blantyre
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The Nation (Nairobi)
4 July 2008
Posted to the web 4 July 2008
Charles Nyende
Nairobi
Harambee Stars are intent on keeping their newly-found momentum going, friendly or no friendly, coach Francis Kimanzi has said.
Kenya play Malawi in an international friendly match in Blantyre on Sunday as part of the host country's independence day celebrations.
"Nobody should tell you that a friendly match is any different. The pressure is always there. The results will affect our ranking and we want to continue our good run," Kimanazi said after Thursday's training session at Kasarani.
Kenya moved up 23 places to 92nd in the latest Fifa World Ranking released on Wednesday, thanks to a strong run in the 2010 World Cup qualifiers that has seen them down Guinea and Zimbabwe to enhance their chances of advancing further in the elimination exercise.
Harambee Stars were scheduled to leave early Friday morning.
A squad of 18 players including five fresh call-ups who have not featured in the current 2010 qualifiers will do duty for Stars in Malawi.
They include strikers Francis Chinjili of Mahakama, Augustine Etemesi of Western Stima and Joseph Njuguna of KCB.
Others are Sony Sugar defender Jockins Atudo and Bandari forward Anthony Dafaa.
Kimanzi said he was impressed with the player's "basics" and his only worry was getting them technically sound to his strategy.
"This is a very strong side. We are only missing Dennis (Oliech), (Macdonald) Mariga, (Patrick) Oboya and (George) Owino."
He added: "I want to see how the team copes without the influence of this four. I want to see how they play on their own. My aim is to strengthen all the departments."
In the Kenyan Premier League, leaders Mathare United, surely, are now odds on favourites to clinch their first title after a trio of their former players rejoined them for the remainder of the season.
Defender Edgar Ochieng and midfielders Kevin Ochieng and Osborn Monday, who had excellent recent outings with Harambee Stars in the 2010 World Cup/Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, are back at Mathare after stints in Oman.
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Mathare are currently riding high in the league with 25 points from 12 matches. The are the highest scoring team with 23 goals and have lost the least matches. KCB have off loaded seven players and signed four including forward Paul Ambembo, a Mathare United old boy who was playing for AC Kigali.
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