Harambee Stars take on Ethiopia in their final Group A match at the Nyayo National Stadium on Saturday knowing very well that anything short of victory could derail their regional ambitions.

Stars, who are currently third in the group with three points, lost their first match 0-2 to Zambia before beating Djibouti 2-0 in their second game.

Against Djibouti on Wednesday, Harambee Stars needed to win by at least six goals to temporarily overtake Ethiopia, but the visitors did their best to keep the final scoreline low.

The Djiboutians had been whitewashed 5-0 by their neighbours Ethiopia in their opening match.

Stars' main undoing is their midfield, which lacked creativity.

Sofapaka goalkeeper, Wilson Oburu, who made his debut on Wednesday against Djibouti, could retain his position on Saturday.

Stars' defence is expected to be marshalled by George Owino, Edgar Ochieng, Julius Owino and John and Njoroge, leaving Peter Opiyo, Lawrence Owino and George Odhiambo to man the midfield. Patrick Oboya, Allan Wanga and John Barasa will be looking for goals up front.

Use same squad

Speaking to the Saturday Nation, head coach Twahir Muhiddin said he was confident of winning on Saturday. "We lost to Zambia because it was a good team, and when we got back it was too late."

His Ethiopian counterpart, Abreham Haimanot, said he was planning to use the same squad that mauled Djibouti 5-0 in their opening match. "We still have a chance and only need to beat Kenya to qualify for the next round," he said.

The match between Somalia and Eritrea has been switched to the artificial turf at City Stadium.

Eritrea started by drawing 0-0 before losing 1-2 to Rwanda in their second match. Ethiopia will have Dawit Assefa in goal while Degu Debebe is expected to partner with Mulugeta Mihret, Aklilu Ayenew, Ibrahim Hussein and Michael Desta in defence.

Others expected to feature include Anduacem Niguse, Fikru Fefera, Umed Ukuri, Berhanu Bogale, Samson Mulugeta and Adane Girma.

In Mumias, Zanzibar face defending champions Uganda today, needing a win to boost morale and restore belief that they have what it takes to win the title.

Opening encounter

With one defeat (0-1 to Tanzania) and one win (4-0 against Burundi) in their first two games, the islanders face an uphill struggle to overcome one of their main rivals in the race for the annual trophy.

Uganda and Tanzania have both got off to good starts, while Burundi have had a tumultuous campaign in Group C.

"We have had our strategies right so far. We may have lost the Tanzania game but a 1-0 final score isn't that bad. This is a championship, and not just one match. We take each game as it comes," said forward, Seleiman Kassim.

It's difficult to say the same about Zanzibar's opening day win over Burundi. Henry Morocco, Zanzibar's head coach, had assembled a strong squad then and it was always going to be a tough opening encounter for the Swallows.

The defeat against Tanzania on Tuesday, however, was disappointing for Morocco and his men.