Charles Nyende
5 November 2009
Nairobi — A showdown looms between Football Kenyan Limited and their employee, Harambee Stars coach Antoine Hey over the selection of the team to face Nigeria in a World Cup/African Cup of Nations qualifier on November 14.
Hey on Thursday partially accepted FKL's demand by naming two players, Dennis Oliech and Emmanual Ake in his 20-man squad to face Nigeria next weekend. But he excluded defender Edgar Ochieng and midfielder Jamal Mohammed, whom FKL had ordered to also be included in the squad.
The coach said Ochieng and Mohammed were not in his plans and he would not include them in the 20-man squad named to report to camp at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani on Sunday. FKL on Wednesday ordered Hey to recall the quartet for the do-or-die final qualifier match that Stars must win to stand any chance of making it to the African finals in Angola next year.
"As far as we are concerned, Ochieng and Jamal are part of the team. They have to report to camp on Sunday. This is an executive order that Hey has been given," FKL acting secretary Mohammed Thabit said. Dropped from the squad for the first time in the qualifiers is veteran midfielder Robert Mambo.
Sent medical report
Harambee Stars team manager said Mambo had failed to recover from a knee injury picked up in the qualifying match against Tunisia in Rades last month. Parma's Macdonald Mariga, who missed the last qualifier because of injury, was named in the original 20 member team but will not be available after his club confirmed he had not recovered from a left thigh tear incurred in a Serie "A" tie last month.
"The club sent us a medical report on Mariga which shows he is still recuperating and has not played in any league match since incurring the injury," Oduor said. Surprisingly included in the side is left back Ibrahim Shikanda, controversially dropped from the team a year ago by the then coach Francis Kimanzi who cited his lack of size to cope with the physicality of international football. Harambee Stars have shown worrying frailties in defence illustrated by eight goals conceded in their last five qualifying matches.
Humiliating defeat
Ochieng was the mainstay of the Kenyan defence in the second round of qualifiers where Stars at one point went for over 360 minutes without conceding a goal. But he was dropped by Hey following a row between Mathare United and the Harambee Stars management over his availability.
FKL first vice-chairman, Erustus Okul, said a release letter had been dispatched to Mathare and he expected Ochieng to report to camp on Monday. The team will be looking to forget their humiliating 5-0 defeat at the hands of Kuwait in a build up match in Cairo last Tuesday.
It was the first time Harambee Stars had lost by such a big margin since losing to Tanzania by a similar score in a World Cup qualifier on July 26, 1980.
Harambee Stars squad:
Goalkeepers - Willis Ochieng, Wilson Oburu, David Okello. Defenders - Julius Owino, Ibrahim Shikanda, John Njoroge, Pascal Ochieng, George Owino, Musa Otieno, Joakin Atudo.
Midfielders - Peter Opiyo, Patrick Osiako, Victor Mugabe, Emmanuel Ake, Macdonald Mariga, Hillary Echesa.
Forwards - Patrick Oboya, Dennis Oliech, George Odhiambo, Allan Wanga.
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