Stars land in Accra keen to cause sandstorm in Ghana

National team Harambee Sand Stars, landed safely in Accra Ghana’s Kakuba International Airport ahead of their return leg of the first round of the Africa Cup of Nations Beach Soccer qualifier against hosts Black Sharks to be played on Sunday.

Football Kenya Federation logistics boss, Ronny Oyando confirmed the contigent of 19 comprising of 12 players and seven officials touched down aboard a Kenya Airways flight at 10:40am Ghanaian time that is 1340H here.

The visitors were received by host Ghana FA officials and booked at the Oceanic Resort Hotel before holding their first training session at 5pm local time that was 8pm Kenyan time.

The session lasted only 30 minutes as the team shook off the jet lag and will hold two training stints on Thursday in the morning starting from 9am to 11am before returning to the sand at 4pm to 6pm.

Sand Stars are faced with a daunting 10-3 deficit from the first leg in Mombasa to overcome in order continue their quest to make the continental showpiece finals.

The playing unit consists of goalkeepers Daido Manase and Hamisi Rajab Chai, Hamisi Mohammed Musa, Farid Mbwana, Madi Hassan, Abdillahi Mohammed Abdillahi, Alfred Akello Oluoch, Mohammed Said, Mudhafar Swaleh, Patrick Emani, Fahad Nassir and Dennis Lewa Mwangala.

Other officials that accompanied the team include the National Beach Soccer Committee Chairman and Head of Delegation, Raphael Mwalungo, Head Coach Iddi Rajab Babu, assistant Coach Kinero Swaleh Ali, team doctor Mohammed Hassan Kheri, kit manager Benjamin Omukuba and physiotherapist Samson Victor Chiro.

Kenya fell to the heavy defeat on August 27 at the Jomo Kenyatta Public Beach (Pirates) in the first leg and face Ghana who are seeking to make their second successive African showpiece after debuting in the 2015 edition in Sychelles.

The 2016 Edition of the African Cup of Nations Beach Soccer Championship will

be held in Lagos, Nigeria from December 13 to 18 and will serve as a qualifier for the 2017 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in Nassau, Bahamas between April 27 and May 7 with two slots available to the continent.