Offer support to Harambee Stars, Musa Otieno appeals

Former Harambee Stars captain Musa Otieno has called for support for the national football team as they prepare to grace this year’s African Cup of Nations finals beginning June.

The Stars have been clustered in Group ‘C’ which also has Senegal, Algeria and neighbours Tanzania for the biennial championship which runs from June 21- July 19.

Otieno said that it will be sad for the same fate to repeat itself, noting that it’s not proper for a team to undergo a 15-year hiatus before gracing a continental championship “owing to lack of support”.

 “It’s through hard work that we have qualified for the Cup of Nations after 15 years, as a country we need to scout for more talent from the grass roots so that we have more players to feed the national teams,”said Otieno.

“The national team needs a feeder team which is the under 17, 20 and 23. For us to establish that we need proper identification of talent which is not only available in town but also in the tournaments that are organized in the sub county and county level, ” he added .

Otieno captained the last Stars side to grace the championship in Tunis, Tunisia but since then it has been a huge lull.

Otieno also challenged key stakeholders to support the team, as it is the only way to ensure they grace the showpiece after every two years.

According to Otieno, there are good talents in the rural areas but whose careers take a plunge even before take-off owing to poor surfaces and lack of coaches at the grassroots to mentor them.

The former central defender was speaking in Embu on the sidelines of the finals of the inaugural Super 8 League sponsored by NAWIRI Sacco.

Otieno reckons that with corporates coming out to sponsor such tournaments, it would give hope to aspiring footballers.

Otieno also appealed Football Kenya Federation (FKF) to incorporate ex-footballers in developing the game.

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afcon Harambee Stars Musa Otieno support national football team

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