Kenya v Algeria: Statistics favour Harambee Stars

Swila Isaac in Cairo, Egypt

The stage is all but set and it’s a matter of hours before Kenya’s national football team, Harambee Stars launch their quest for the elusive Africa Cup of Nations title when they battle Algeria’s Desert Foxes from 10pm here(11pm East Africa Time).

The match will be played at the 30 June Stadium built by the Egyptian Air Defense Forces which is just a stone through from Tiba Rosa Villa, the hotel where the Stars have been putting up ever since they arrived here.

The statistics however make for a good read moreso for a Kenyan fan. The two teams have met seven times, the Stars wining thrice, same as Algeria, the other being a draw.

The last clash between the two sides was on September 28, 1997 in a friendly match orgainsed in Tanzania where Kenya won 1-0.

A year earlier, the Stars fell 1-0 in Algeria on June 14, 1996 in a World Cup qualifier. This was after Kenyan won the first leg clash 3-1 in Nairobi a week before.

Fast forward , the two sides lock horns yet again after 23 years of wait with a totally new set of players and Algerian winger Riyad Mahrez admits he doesn’t know match about their Kenyan opponents.

“We do not know much about Kenya. We (the current players) never played against them.

“We have watched a lot of videos of them and we have played similar teams,” Mahrez said here on Saturday’s pre-match conference.

The Stars will be aiming to get their campaign off to a good footing to build a strong case for qualifying to the knockout stages.

Skipper Victor Wanyama maintains the team is calm and not under any pressure. He said: “I think there is no pressure. Pressure was there when we wanted to qualify, and now is the time to go out and enjoy ourselves and show the people we’re no pushovers .We had a good camp and we’re ready to battle,” said Wanyama who will carry the weight of an expectant nation on his broad shoulders when he leads the team onto the pitch.

In their previous five Africa Cup of Nations tournaments, Kenya has played a total of 14 matches winning only once, against Burkina Faso in the 2004 edition held in Tunis ,Tunisia, drawing four and losing nine and will be out to reinvent themselves.

In total, they have scored only eight goals in the 14 matches, averaging 0.57 goals scored per match and 1.7 goals conceded.

Some 100 travelling fans from Nairobi arrived here after getting sponsorship from Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko and are expected to help boost the team morale.