Kenya/Angola: Santo Or Monday Tipped to Fill Mariga Gap

The Citizen (Dar es Salaam)

Charles Nyende

4 June 2011

Nairobi. Either Osborn Monday or recalled Jerry Santo will fill in for the suspended Macdonald Mariga for tomorrow’s Africa Cup of Nations Group “J” clash with Angola, Kenya coach Zedekiah Otieno said yesterday.

“We are trying to fill Mariga’s position amongst other things and I am glad the players are picking up well. They are experienced players,” Otieno said on phone from Luanda.

At the first encounter in Nairobi on March 26 Otieno started with a three-man midfield of McDonald Mariga, Johanne Omollo and Joseph Nyaga before replacing the latter two with Jamal Mohammed and Victor Mugabe.

Harambee Stars arrived in the Angolan capital on Tuesday and seem to have shrugged off a three-hour delay at the airport and failure to secure a training ground for over 24 hours to focus on the task ahead.

“The mood is relaxed and we are now training under my programme. By Friday evening I will be able to know my starting line up,” Otieno said.

“Obviously we will be concentrating on our defensive play. But that does not just mean the defence. We will want to play compact and hope to catch them on the counter attack,” he added.

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