Harambee Stars training moved as Sports Ministry yet to clear Zambia friendly

BetOdds Kenya Kenya v Zambia Zambia Friendlies

The national team has moved into residential training despite the Sports Ministry yet to give clearance for the upcoming friendly

Harambee Stars' training has been pushed from morning to the evening after the Sports Ministry requested Football Kenya Federation (FKF) to sort out “a few stuff.”

According to FKF President Nick Mwendwa, the team which reported to camp on Sunday and all the players were tested for Covid-19, will now start training on Monday at 4 pm ahead of their friendly against Zambia on October 10.

“We had planned to start training on Monday morning and my players were also ready to go to training but the Ministry of Sports has requested us to wait before we start training,” Mwendwa told Goal on Monday.

“The Sports Permanent Secretary has told us that they are trying to work out a few things with the Ministry of Health before they can allow us to use Kasarani Stadium for training and probably for the match.

“We have now postponed the morning training session and we will start training in the evening at 4 pm, we hope they will have sorted their issues by then and they can give us the green light to go ahead with training in readiness for the friendly.”

On Sunday, Mwendwa told Goal they were ready for the friendly after testing local-based players for Covid-19 though the Ministry of Sports was yet to clear the same to be played.

“We have all the local-based players named by the coach already in camp and they have all undergone Covid-19 tests,” Mwendwa told Goal. “We want to start training tomorrow [Monday] at Kasarani but we have not heard from the Ministry yet on the way forward.

“I only got a call from an official from Kasarani who told me he will give us a letter allowing the team to use the venue for training but we have not received any response yet as far as our request to the Ministry of Sports in regards to the build-up is concerned.

“We don’t know why the government is taking long to give us a go-ahead and they are the ones who said international assignments will be given first priority, we have done our part, we wrote to them as they requested but now the time is running out.

“I will make sure the team starts training on Monday as planned at Kasarani, we don’t have time to waste as we only have a month remaining before we play the Afcon match against Comoros.”

Kenya started their campaign for the 2021 Afcon, to be held in Cameroon, with an impressive 1-1 draw away to Egypt. They followed it up with another draw, by the same margin, in Nairobi against Togo.

In Group G, Comoros, who started their campaign with a 1-0 win against Togo before settling for a goalless draw against the Pharaohs, lead with four points.

Final Squad; Goalkeepers; Ian Otieno (Zesco United, Zambia), and Timothy Odhiambo (Ulinzi Stars, Kenya).

Defenders: Brian Mandela (Unattached), Johnstone Omurwa (Wazito, Kenya), Joash Onyango (Simba, Tanzania), Joseph Okumu (Elfsborg, Sweden), Clarke Oduor (Barnsley, England), David Owino (Mathare United, Kenya), Philemon Otieno (Gor Mahia, Kenya), Badi Baraka (KCB, Kenya).

Midfielders: Kenneth Muguna (Gor Mahia, Kenya), Francis Kahata (Simba, Tanzania), Eric Johanna (Jonkoping’s Sodra IF, Sweden), Cliff Nyakeya (Masr FC, Egypt), Antony Akumu (Kaiser Chief, South Africa), Hassan Abdallah (Bandari FC, Kenya), Lawrence Juma (Gor Mahia, Kenya), Katana Mohamed (Isloch, Belarus), Austin Otieno (AFC Leopards, Kenya).

Forwards: Elvis Rupia (AFC Leopards, Kenya), Masud Juma (JS Kabylie, Algeria), Timothy Otieno (NAPSA Stars, Zambia), Oscar Wamalwa (Ulinzi Stars, Kenya).

2020-10-05 10:00:02