Low key reception for Stars

By Mutwiri Mutuota

The performance of national team, Harambee Stars, at the Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup proved that Kenya could do without European-based players.

Head coach, Francis Kimanzi, who has come under criticism since the 1-0 loss at the Cup final to Uganda on Tuesday, said his side had achieved what they were set out to do.

"We demonstrated that without the likes of (Dennis) Oliech and (MacDonald) Mariga, we could still create chances and score goals and go far in competition," the coach said during a dinner hosted in the team’s honour when they returned from Uganda on Wednesday night.

No fans were at the airport to receive the side when the team decked in red T-shirts bearing the national flag arrived at 7:30pm aboard a Uganda Airlines flight. Assistant Sports Minister, Kabando wa Kabando, Sports Secretary Wilson Lagat and Commissioner for Sport Gordon Oluoch led the Government in receiving the team at a low key reception.

Also present were Football Kenya Limited (FKL) Chairman Mohammed Hatimy, directors Erastus Okul and David Lagat as well as battery of local journalists. The rival KFF faction officials gave the occasion a wide berth.

The team has been under fire for relying too much on French Ligue 1 striker, Oliech, and Mariga, who play for Italian side Parma in addition to a host of European-based pros.

"Cecafa showed that we have talented players in local and regional leagues and my task is to bridge the technical gap between them and their European-based counterparts," Kimanzi offered.

He said failure to win the regional trophy was not not an indication of the team’s chances for the 2010 World Cup/Nations Cup qualification.

Different mission

"Qualification for 2010 is a different mission that requires different preparations. Cecafa gave me a chance to view players I had not tested before and now I have a better idea how my team will look when the qualifiers start," he said.

Kenya kick off the last leg of the qualifiers with a home tie with the Carthage Eagles of Tunisia in March. They have been grouped with the imposing Nigeria and Mozambique.

"No one gave us a chance to reach the final, especially when we drew our first two games, but to get there and compete despite frustrating conditions was commendable," Kimanzi said.

Top scorer for Kenya, Francis Ouma, who netted four goals in the tournament said: "We enjoyed the tournament, and it gave me the courage to know I can compete against the best."

The former Mathare United player, who also top scored in the last Kenyan Premier League season with 20 goals, and was signed by Tanzanian side Azam, expressed disappointment at failing on the last hurdle.

"It was not meant to be our game and I was not meant to win the golden boot. That day, our game just din’t click," said the player who was beaten to the top scoring charts of the tournament by Uganda’s Bryan Omwony, who scored the winning goal at the final. He will return to his new side at the weekend.

Austin Makacha, the Mathare midfielder who was the main creative outlet for Kenya, admitted that anxiety got to the Stars at the final.

"We could have beaten them but we were under so much pressure. We tried to vary our game with short and long balls, but it did not work."

Poor officiating

He refused to blame the floodlight conditions the final was played under saying, "Playing at that time was a good idea since it was cool and the game moved fast."

Team captain, Edgar Ochieng, decried the standards of officiating especially at the final where Djibouti referee, Ali Farah, made a host of dubious calls against the Stars.

"We expected that but at the beginning of the tournament, we were forced to play in a very bad pitch before we were moved to Kampala for the remaining group games. This did not go down well with our preparations but we did our best."