Stars out to end botched 2017 Afcon campaign on a high

Head coach Stanley Okumbi will have all 10 invited foreign-based players including Tottenham Hotspur midfielder and captain, Victor Wanyama, at his disposal on Sunday in their dead-rubber 2017 Afcon qualifier against Zambia in Lusaka.

With both teams out of the running to make the Gabon finals, Stars and their hosts Chipolopolo will be vying to improve in the Fifa rankings and for Okumbi’s side, ending what has been a disastrous campaign on a high at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Lusaka.

The 10 were part of the squad that drew 0-0 with neighbours and archrivals Uganda Cranes in a friendly in Kampala and are expected back home later Wednesday before the travelling contingent is named on Thursday.

“After the team arrives from Kampala, we shall hold a press briefing tomorrow (Thursday) where the head coach Okumbi will name the travelling squad. All the professional footballers headed by the Captain Wanyama flew to Uganda for the match against Cranes,” Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Media Liaison officer, Barry Otieno, told Capital Sport.

Stars edged Congo Brazzaville 2-1 in their last qualifier in Nairobi for their only victory in the group that came at the back of two damaging back-to-back losses for already qualified Guinea Bissau and a draw away to the former that ended their interest in Gabon,

“I’m seeing improvement in my team. After starting in a low tone, and the draw with Uganda, you can see that my boys are on to something,” Okumbi asserted.

Others foreign based players are Zambia’s Zesco trio, Jesse Were, Antony Akumu and David Owino Calabar, David Ochieng (New York Cosmos), Gonzalez Ismael (Las Plamas) and Jonah Ayunga (Brighton and Hove Albion).

Joshua Lelan (Plymouth Argyle), Ayub Timbe (Lierse), Brian Mandela (Maritzburg United), Abud Omar (Slavia Sofia) and Michael Olunga (IF Djugardens) round the list.

The team is expected to depart for Lusaka on Friday.