Gishinga Njoroge
11 October 2008
Conakry — Harambee Stars coach Francis Kimanzi did not have to make a formal announcement about his starting team to face Guinea in a match of do-or-die importance to the local national team on Sunday.
On Friday afternoon, Kimanzi took his 18-man squad through attack, midfield and defence drills at the September 28 Stadium in Conakry, venue of Sunday's clash and it was clear who will start.
Captain Robert Mambo, the veteran midfielder did not train. On the way here from Nairobi on Wednesday via Bamako, Mali, Mambo picked up what the team physician Wycliff Makanga described as a "stomach bug" probably from food.
The doctor said: "He had a running stomach that caused loss of strength and weakness in the joints so he cannot exercise at full strength."
On Sunday morning, when the team went out for another training session, the doctor took Mambo to hospital and all indications were that his recovery will not meet the match deadline.
So that in perspective, Kimanzi will play Ayuko in goal, the back four will be Mulinge, Owino, Edgar Ochieng' and Njoroge, the midfield Makacha, Mariga, Jamal and Monday and twin strikers Oliech and Oboya.
Holding middle men
That's how the drills went. The team looked supremely confident.
In attack, Oboya played a little behind Oliech, bringing in crosses from the left which Oliech connected firing at Ayuko but the rugged 'keeper did a good job throughout the session making saves with all parts of body and only the inevitable few balls finding the back of the net.
Mariga brought in the crosses from the right and fellow attacking midfielder was Makacha. Jamal and Monday were the holding middle men.
Almost certainly to come off the bench for some minutes of play will be Keving Ochieng' on the left flank and either Ouma or Wanga as strikers.
Kenyans will earn themselves no friends in Guinea if the Harambee Stars knock the local national team out of the 2010 World Cup/African Nations Cup qualifiers..
Guinea must win the tie here on Sunday to top Group 2 and get the automatic ticket. If Harambee Stars force a draw, they will solidify their position as group winners with eleven points and Guinea (nine points) will have been out if the bottom team ends up being Namibia.
Winners of the 12 groups have automatic qualification and eight best second placed teams also make the cut. There is the intriguing tie decider which says the results involving the second placed team and last team in all the groups will not count.
Should Guinea reach only nine points and Namibia finish last, it would mean Guinea would surrender the six points from their home and away victories over Namibia and be left with a meagre three which knocks them out of the running.
Conakry just cannot contemplate Guinea's life in these qualifiers ending after today's game. The city incredibly passionate about their football is holding Kenyan squarely responsible of the predicament they are in.
Harambee Stars whipped Guinea 2-0 in their opening tie in Nairobi. Even though everywhere the Harambee Stars team bus drives through they are facing cacaphonous chants of "two-zero, three-zero..." etc and finger signs of number from two up 10, meaning the number of goals Guinea will hammer Kenya, you can almost see the panic in the eyes of the locals that that may be all wishful thinking and that the quiet Kenyans might dash their dreams.
Well known internationals
The Kenya coach says of the scenario: "We are unconcerned about what the Guineans might want to do. We are here to play well and get a good result. We have a team to beat Guinea and we must do ourselves justice."
Kimanzi said the Kenyan players intend to make a point by bringing down the Guinean side full of well known internationals in European leagues including Pascal Feindounou formerly of St Etienne and recently Al Saad (Qatar), Ismael Bangoura of Dynamo Kiev (Ukraine), Dianbobo Balde (Glasgow Celtic, Scotland) and Foday Mansare (Toulouse).
"They (Guinea) have big names. But perhaps a bulk of them have been around a little too long and perhaps they time is up, " said Kimanzi.
The match at 5pm Conakry time (8pm, Kenya) will be broadcast live in Kenya by the Kenya Broadcast Corporation (KBC).
The Kenya Government assisted Harambee Stars with camping expenses while in Nairobi and paid for their air tickets here.
Minister of Youth and Sports, Hellen Sambili was expected in Conakry on Saturday evening and to attend the Stars 5pm final training at September 28 stadium. She will be at the match on Sunday evening.
Probable Line-up:
1.Noah Ayuko, 3.John Njoroge, 4. Edgar Ochieng', 6.George Owino, 8.Mulinge Ndeto, 9.McDonald Mariga, 10.Osborne Monday, 11.Jamal Mohammed, 13.Austin Makacha, 18.Denis Oliech, 15.Patrick Oboya.
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