Harambee Stars: National team line up two friendlies ahead of Egypt tie

Harambee Stars Philemon Otieno in the match against Ghana during African Cup of Nations Qualifier match at Moi Sports Centre Kasarani. Sept 8, 2018. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

Preparations for Ugandan match continue as China-based Timbe joins camp.

National football team, Harambee Stars, have lined up two more friendly matches against Libya and Mozambique in next month’s international break ahead of the upcoming 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in November.

Stars begin their post-Sebastian Migne era this Sunday with a mouth watering build up match against their perennial rivals Uganda Cranes at Kasarani Stadium.

Francis Kimanzi’s men will then travel to Marrakech, Morocco, on October 11 to take the Mediterranean Knights of Libya in their second friendly before flying back to Nairobi to battle with Mozambique on October 15 at Kasarani Stadium.

The team, which has been in a residential camp at Kasarani since Monday, will be using the matches to prepare for their Group G 2021 AFCON qualifiers fixtures against giants Egypt and Togo in November.

Kenya will start their qualifying campaign on November 11 away to Mohamed Salah’s Pharaohs before hosting the Sparrowhawks of Togo at Kasarani on November 19.

Stars will then clash with Comoros Islands home and away between August 31, and September 8 next year before facing Egypt between October 5-13 October in a return match in Nairobi.

The national team will wrap up their qualifying campaign with a trip to Togo between November 9-17.

And to ensure Kenya secures a second successive ticket to the continental finals slated for Cameroon, Football Kenya Federation President Nick Mwendwa has promised to support and give Kimanzi the same treatment as his predecessor.

“After the Uganda match, we have planned two more friendlies against Libya and Mozambique in the next international break window. We will play Libya in Morocco then host Mozambique at Kasarani,” Mwendwa told Standard Sports.

“As far as we are concerned, these friendlies are not result-oriented, but for the coach to gauge his players, start building his team, prepare and rectify any mistakes before we travel to Cairo and host Togo.

“We are going to give Kimanzi and his team the same support and treatment we gave Migne.  Nothing is going to fall short and we don’t want him to have any excuses.”

Mwendwa said his federation is contemplating to either sell tickets Stars’ home match against Togo on November 19 at a flat rate fee of Sh 100 or waive the gate charges altogether.

“We are thinking of selling all the tickets for the Togo game at Sh100 or make it free like we did against Ethiopia. If the government disburses the funds in good time, then there will be no gate charges for that match,” he said.

Meanwhile, Harambee Stars camp is now at full house ahead of Sunday’s friendly match against Uganda following yesterday’s arrival of China-based winger Ayub Timbe.

Timbe becomes the eighth foreign-based player to report to camp after strikers Michael Olunga (Kashiwa Reysol), Jesse Were (Zesco United), Erick Ouma (Vasalunds), Erick Johanna (IF Brommapojkarma), Francis Kahata (Simba), Farouk Shikalo (Yanga) and Cliff Nyakeya (FC Masr) arrived on Tuesday. But Kenya will have do without the services of, among others, captain Victor Wanyama (transfer issues with Tottenham Hotspur) and midfielder Johanna Omollo (injury).

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