Stars forced to pave way for 'Lions'

Cameroon's Indomitable Lions were accorded first class treatment to train at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, as Kenya's Harambee Stars were forced to train on the bumpy, patchy and uneven Ruaraka ground yesterday morning.

And the move infuriated the Stars' coach Bernard Lama.

Coupled with the failure by the Kenya Football Federation to show commitment in paying the players allowances, Lama is now saying that Kenya may lose a great opportunity to play in the African Nations Cup and World Cup if the players are not accorded basic requirements.

"KFF needs to clean up the situation as soon as possible," Lama said.

"We have the opportunity to go to the Cup of Nations and the World Cup, but KFF must support us with the basic conditions."

Have right spirit

"Yes the players have the right spirit and ambition to go out there and represent their country, but they also require all support and necessities.

"We will play on Saturday then sit down and sort out the problems because they are distracting our programme," said an infuriated Lama.

"It is the same old problem facing Kenyan football and Lama said if things used to happen like this in the past, then things must change now.

"In future, I do not want to hear of money problems. I want KFF to be organised in a way it is sorted out early. I still need to sit down with the officials and talk to them on Monday after the Eritrea game. For now, I will accept the situation but in future, it will be unacceptable. This is a new beginning."

Promised to help

Sports minister Maina Kamanda has promised to help pay the players' allowances but Lama said such issues are better sorted early.

"We are doing the job because we have ambition to win on Saturday. We do not want outside politics and financial issues to creep in the team because it will mess our programme."

Lama lamented the misuse of the Kasarani pitch-venue for next Saturday's Africa Nations Cup qualifying match against Eritrea – saying the national team should be given first priority in training.

One crucial game

"We have one crucial game in a week, yet we cannot use the pitch, the pitch was used over the weekend, then the Cameroonians have to use it now, our national team has to train at Tusker, do you think that is good?

"It's that kind of problem we need to look into in future because we have only one good pitch here and we need to take good care of it," observed Lama.

"I am not happy the way the pitch is being used, a country comes, wants to use the pitch and they get it and we have to go somewhere else. It should not happen in future because the pitch has to be in good condition ahead of a crucial game.