Kenya: Harambee Stars Resume Training At Kasarani As Mugabe Reports

Nairobi Star (Nairobi)

Francis Wadegu

25 May 2011

HARAMBEE Stars resumed their training for next month’s African Cup of Nation qualifiers against Angola after a three-day break. The break coincided with the good news that all national team players in the Kenya Premier League will be released by their respective clubs to remain in Stars’ camp until after the match. “It was a prudent and timely decision because the national team belongs to the whole country and it’s important that we get the best preparations,” said coach Zedekiah Otieno.

Ulinzi Stars led by former international Mike Barasa also rejoined camp. Barasa earned a recall into the national team for his scintillating form this season having scored eight goals, five in the Kenya Premier League and three in the KPL Top Eight tournament. “Today we were just looking at the players to see who has knocks or any other physical problem after the weekend matches,” said Otieno. Belgium-based forward Victor Mugabe, was the first among the foreign-based players to arrive into the country and took part in yesterday’s regeneration session at Nyayo Stadium. “He (Mugabe) is in good form because he has had very good season his club Germinia Beerschot club. Hopefully, he will carry that into the team,” said Zico.

Other foreign-based players included in the Stars preliminary squad are skipper Dennis Oliech, strikers Allan Wanga and George Odhiambo, defender Dennis Odhiambo and Luxembourg-based Johanna Omollo. “We expect all players to be in camp by next week because most of the foreign-based players are having their final matches this weekend,” revealed Otieno.

The team will leave the country next week for a friendly match against Namibia before departing for Luanda to face Angola in match that will have great ramifications on Kenya’s chances of qualifying for the biennial African show-piece set fro Gabon and Equatorial Guinea between January and February next year. Currently, Stars lie second in group J with four points three behind leaders Uganda and one ahead of their next month opponents.

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