Harambee Stars play for pride in Rwanda clash
Harambee Stars line up.
What you need to know:
- Both teams on Sunday had their last training sessions at the Nyayo National Stadium and with the ongoing turbulent time in the Football Kenya Federation, the government through the Aaron Ringera led caretaker committee will be in charge of all the logistics pertaining to the match.
National men's football team, Harambee Stars will be fighting for their first win in the Fifa 2022 World Cup Group “E” qualifiers when they host Rwanda at Nyayo National Stadium Monday.
The dead rubber game for the two nations, which is also the last for Stars’ Turkish coach Engin Firat, will kick off at 4pm.
The match will be played under a cloud of uncertainty following the disbandment of Football Kenya Federation (FKF) and the arrest of its president Nick Mwendwa over allegations of misuse of funds.
Sports Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed sent Mwendwa’s team packing and appointed a caretaker committee headed by retired Judge Aaron Ringera to oversee football affairs for six months.
The Ringera team will be in charge of Monday’s game. Mali have already secured the only slot for the last round of qualifiers in Group “E”.
They are perched on top of the group with an unassailable 13 points and host Uganda in their final match Sunday night.
Uganda are second in the group on nine points, Kenya are third with three and Rwanda are botton of the pile with one point.
Harambee Stars will be hoping to give Firat his first win on a day his two months contract handed to him by deposed Mwendwa will come to an end.
The embattled FKF supremo on September 21 unveiled the 51-year-old coach, saying he was the perfect man to lead the national team its first ever World Cup appearance despite a below par performance in his previous job with the Moldova national team.
Since taking over the helm,Firat lost heavily when Stars were thrashed 5-0 by Mali on October 7.
He also lost the reverse fixture by a solitary goal at home three days later before a last minute blunder by goalkeeper Brian Were last Thursday resulted in a 1-1 draw with Uganda.
Bwire told Nation Sport that he doesn’t want to talk much about the issue but said it could happen to any footballer.
“I can’t speak much about it but would like to forget it as quickly as possible. It is football, and it can happen to anybody. It has affected me, but I'm training well,” said the Tusker goalkeeper.
Before Firat, former coach Jacob “Ghost” Mulee had led Stars to a scoreless draw against Uganda on September 2, and a 1-1 draw against Amavubi Stars three days later.
Even though Kenya head into today’s tie as the superior side, Rwanda will not be a walk in the park.
It has experienced players like Yanga SC midfielder Haruna Niyonzima, FAR Rabat of Morocco defender Emmanuel Immanishimwe, Tusker goalkeeper Emery Mvuyekure and lead attacker Ernest Sugira.
Familiar faces Jacques Tuyisenge who plies his trade with Rwandese local giants APR and Simba SC attacker Meddie Kagere are not available for the tie as they were axed from the final squad.
Under the tutelage of youthful coach Vincent Mashami, Rwanda have only garnered a point in the qualifiers from the 1-1 draw against Kenya on September 5.
Last week they lost 3-0 at home to Mali and will be seeking their first win in the last game of the group.
Both teams on Sunday had their last training sessions at the Nyayo National Stadium and with the ongoing turbulent time in the Football Kenya Federation, the government through the Aaron Ringera led caretaker committee will be in charge of all the logistics pertaining to the match.
