OLIECH LEFT OUT: Coach Williamson opts for new strikers during Morocco friendly

Kenya's Dennis Oliech(R) eye for the ball against Youssoufa Theodore of Comoros during their AFCON qualify match at Nyayo National Stadium on Sunday 18/05/14.Kenya won 1-0.PHOTO.BONIFACE OKENDO

Despite training with the team since Tuesday, Harambee Stars coach Bobby Williamson has said top striker Dennis Oliech will not be part of his squad for Monday’s international friendly match against Morocco.

“He (Oliech) was in the country and asked whether he could train with us to keep his fitness levels and we allowed him to do so.

“As for the Morocco match, he is not part of my plans. It is a high time we started looking for another striker and we want to give young players a chance to fight for this place. There are a number of good strikers capable of doing just that.”

Williamson did not however rule out the Ajaccio player completely, insisting that he may be considered in future. “He is a Kenyan and as long as he is fit, we can still call him up.”

For more than a decade Dennis Oliech has remained the top striker for the national team Harambee Stars.

Indeed most fans still remember his goal in 2003 against Mauritania that sent the team to the 2004 Africa Cup of Nations finals held in Tunisia.

But after Kenya’s failure to make it to the qualifiers of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations finals, Harambee Stars coach Bobby Williamson has said it is time to get a new striker.

Williamson overlooked the striker when he named a 31 man team to take on Morocco in an international match on October 12 away.

Elsewhere, strikers Allan Wanga and Jesse Were have been ruled out of friendly match. Williamson said Wanga cannot be released by his club which has a crucial fixture this weekend while the Tusker man is out with an injury.

Were picked a knock during their league match against Mathare United on Saturday and was replaced mid-way through the fixture.

“We will not have Were (Jesse) and Wanga for the friendly in Morocco. It is not a big blow as such but it is bad news because we are looking to improve on consistency.

“Were played amazingly well against Egypt in Aswan City and it could have been good to have him in squad for continuity. But now that the duo are not available, we will look to use some of the players’ we already have in camp but I am yet to decide, who will replace them.”

He said the match is good for Kenya as they strive to make improvement in World Fifa rankings.

“Everybody is working and training very hard because we want a good result in Marrakech.

“We will take a squad of 20 players so that gives an opportunity to players’ in camp to fight as hard as they can for a place in final team.”

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