Harambee Stars to get two friendly matches before CECAFA

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) are engaging other football federations within CAF in talks as they seek to tie up two friendly matches for the national football team, Harambee Stars, who returned to the country on Monday after their 1-1 draw with Zambia in the just concluded 2017 AFCON qualifiers.

While Kenya bundled out of the qualifiers with only one win in six and in the process finishing bottom of their Group E, the Stars are unbeaten in their last four matches; a run that Coach Stanley Okumbi believes is an indicator the team is headed in the right direction.

To keep the team in shape and ready for December’s CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup and next year’s African Nations Championship (CHAN), FKF CEO, Robert Muthomi says the federation is planning to line up two international friendly matches; one in October and the other in November.

“We hope they can play against the top footballing nations in the continent. Our World FIFA rankings have improved substantially so we’re also looking to build on that,” Muthomi told Citizen Digital.

“We are already experiencing challenges in convincing the countries we would have preferred to have the friendly matches with since most of them will have tight schedules participating in the 2017 AFCON championship and in the world cup qualifiers.

“We want to keep the momentum we’ve built going and playing against tougher opposition will surely help us gauge exactly where we are. Once we find the countries that will satisfy this need for us and have confirmed details of the matches then we shall reveal the same to the media,” the Top Fry All Stars CEO added.

Okumbi revealed on Tuesday that he has started monitoring potential local based players that will make up Kenya’s squad for the 2018 Africa Nations Championships (Chan) which will be hosted in the country.