Nairobi — Dennis Oliech and McDonald Mariga say they are being used as a scapegoat for Harambee Stars' embarrassing 0-1 loss to Guinea Bissau in their 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers last weekend.

The two aces on Thursday told Football Kenya Limited and the team's management to look elsewhere to lay their blame, adding that the playing unit gave their best and that the loss was a disappointment to them too.

"Saying there are differences between Mariga and I is completely missing the point," Oliech said on phone from France, where he plays for AJ Auxerre. "There are very many underlying issues that led to our loss and I believe even those accusing the players are aware of that."

According to Mariga, Kenya lost as a team. The Inter Milan player stated: "Oliech and I are close friends. We may not have clicked on the pitch during this game but saying we were fighting is wrong.

"I feel very disturbed at the accusations because I have personally done my best to help the national team whenever I am called for duty. "In fact, it is unprofessional to single out players for a team's loss. We should look into the reasons why we lost as a team and not heap blame on individuals."

Never had any differences

FKL official Hussein Swaleh, head of delegation for the West African trip, had accused the two senior players for the loss saying they exposed their differences on the pitch. He said two camps - one supporting the appointment of Oliech as captain and another led by Mariga - emerged within the playing unit.

But players interviewed at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport soon after the team's arrival on Wednesday morning said there were no such camps. Said Swaleh at the airport: "We had a problem because our two senior players - McDonald Mariga and Dennis Oliech - had bad blood between them."

But yesterday, Oliech said he has never had any differences - personal or professional - with Mariga, terming their friendship as "very cordial". "We've played together since school as we have in the national team. We played well in Tanzania. Why should we fight? Over what? He is a midfielder, I am a striker."

"We lost the game because we did not utilise the two or three chances we got. Guinea Bissau got one chance and were lucky to score. So does the fact that we lost mean Mariga and I are the cause, or is it because I was captain?"

Oliech said he was named captain because Robert Mambo, who has been skipper before, was not fielded: "The coach decided to pick one of the senior players and opted for me. I do not know whether there were 'camps'." He said the team's management should address the key issues the team had to go through in the run-up to the game.

Stars had to shift training from the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, to Karen. Initially set to fly out three days to the game, they left Nairobi on Friday at midday after FKL failed to secure tickets in time, arriving way past midnight.

They didn't train in the morning and went for the game without a feel of the pitch. The players have complained of hot and humid conditions in Bissau compared to the chilly conditions in Nairobi.

They also say by the time of entering the field of play they were still jetlagged, having been airborne for more than 10 hours.