U-23 Camping in Lodge Ahead of Eritrea Tie

Odindo Ayieko

27 April 2011

Nairobi — In what can simply be described as a national shame, the Under-23 team is camping in a Ngara lodge at the goodwill of its manager.

The players, who do not even have training kit. On Wednesday, they had breakfast on credit and were not sure of their next meal.

They are preparing for the return leg match of the All Africa Games qualifiers against Eritrea at the Nyayo National Stadium this Saturday.

The balls they are using for training and other equipment have been donated from Sofapaka.

The Premier League club also provides them with transport to their training ground at Goan Institute.

The team was initially scheduled to camp at Sabena Hotel in Karen but was barred by the management over a Sh3 million debt Football Kenya Limited owes the facility.

“After we were told we could not camp there on Tuesday, FKL Head of Technical Hussein Swaleh told me to disband the team,” the team’s coach, Ezekiel Akwana, told the Nation on Wednesday.

Since then, no FKL official has gone to see the boys nor asked about their welfare.

Broke body

“I said it will be unfair to send the players back home because this is their chance to prove themselves,” Akwana said.

There are fears FKL has already written to Eritrea calling off the return leg.

Hussein, who last week sacked Bob Oyugi as the Under-23 coach following the 4-1 defeat by Eritrea in Asmara, said FKL was broke and had no money for the team.

“We will soldier on. We have decided to play,” said Pascal Ochieng’, the team captain and one of the team and one of the two over-age players called up by Akwana.

At the same tie, Rangers FC is a worried side after the national Under-23 team raided their camp and took off with six of their regular players.

Rangers assistant coach, Michael Nam said, he was worried of fatigue after the Under-23 officials took off with defenders, Abdallah Juma, Brian Mandela, mid fielders Edward, Mwaura, Joseph Ngugi and striker Joseph Nyaga together with an over-aged veteran, Pascal Ochieng’.

Uphill task

Rangers currently occupying third place is likely to play league defending champions, Ulinzi Stars on Monday, but Nam feels his players will be tired at their national duty at the weekend.

The Kenyan team mainly drawn from the National Youth Talent Academy was under Bob Oyugi who since been sacked and replaced by Sofapaka assistant coach, Ezekiel Akwana who has an uphill task to reverse the 4-1 loss to Eritrea this weekend.

Anything less than a 3-0 win means Kenya will be bundled out of the qualifiers.

AllAfrica – All the Time