Kenya last featured at the 2004 Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia, and victory for them over a much favoured Nigerian team on Saturday could well seal their qualification for the 2010 event in Angola.
They have so far Recorded three points from five Matches and lie a point behind third-placed Mozambique. They will therefore need to win and hope Mozambique do not do same in Maputo if they are to earn a berth in Angola.
However, the Kenyans' build-up to this all-important tie has been anything but plain sailing. There has been a much-publicised fallout between Football Kenya and coach Antoine Hey.
Hey has stayed away from training after two players, Dennis Oliech and Edgar Ochieng, were imposed on him by the local football authorities. In Hey's place, a set of local coaches have been training the team. It now appears that Hey is in his last days as Kenya coach.
"The coach has had his way in the last five matches and we have seen the results. The fans have been calling for the changes. It is time to bring in everybody in a last ditch effort to qualify for Angola."
Overlooked for last month’s World Cup qualifier against Tunisia, Oliech has been a significant influence at Auxerre, who are in the top bracket of the French league this season.
He remains Kenya’s top scorer in the qualifiers. Last year he netted four times as Stars cruised past the second round of qualifiers, securing famous victories against, amongst others, Guinea. He has scored only once in the second round of the qualifiers, but it is worth noting that no one else in the team has scored more than one goal.
By his own standards, Oliech’s form has not been impressive, but an apparent fall out with coach Hey is thought to have contributed to his poor performances.
Oliech at one time criticised Hey’s appointment and threatened not to honour call-ups if former coach Francis Kimanzi was not reinstated.
Denmark-based midfielder Emmanuel Ake has also been recalled by Kenya, while the Harambee Stars will be without MacDonald Mariga and Robert Mambo due to injury. However, a 5-0 spanking by Kuwait in a friendly earlier this month has certainly not done their confidence a world of good.
However, the Kenyans' build-up to this all-important tie has been anything but plain sailing. There has been a much-publicised fallout between Football Kenya and coach Antoine Hey.
Hey has stayed away from training after two players, Dennis Oliech and Edgar Ochieng, were imposed on him by the local football authorities. In Hey's place, a set of local coaches have been training the team. It now appears that Hey is in his last days as Kenya coach.
"The coach has had his way in the last five matches and we have seen the results. The fans have been calling for the changes. It is time to bring in everybody in a last ditch effort to qualify for Angola."
Overlooked for last month’s World Cup qualifier against Tunisia, Oliech has been a significant influence at Auxerre, who are in the top bracket of the French league this season.
He remains Kenya’s top scorer in the qualifiers. Last year he netted four times as Stars cruised past the second round of qualifiers, securing famous victories against, amongst others, Guinea. He has scored only once in the second round of the qualifiers, but it is worth noting that no one else in the team has scored more than one goal.
By his own standards, Oliech’s form has not been impressive, but an apparent fall out with coach Hey is thought to have contributed to his poor performances.
Oliech at one time criticised Hey’s appointment and threatened not to honour call-ups if former coach Francis Kimanzi was not reinstated.
Denmark-based midfielder Emmanuel Ake has also been recalled by Kenya, while the Harambee Stars will be without MacDonald Mariga and Robert Mambo due to injury. However, a 5-0 spanking by Kuwait in a friendly earlier this month has certainly not done their confidence a world of good.
Nigeria have thus far recorded nine points from five matches, two fewer than Group 2 leaders Tunisia, meaning they have to beat Kenya in Nairobi on Saturday to stand any chance of qualification. Of course, they also need Mozambique to do them a turn against Tunisia to make their dreams come true.
Coach Shuaibu Amodu has come under fire as Nigeria find themselves in a tight corner. The Super Eagles were previously perceived to have a relatively easy pathway to South Africa.
Amodu has been blamed for poor tactics and team selection, even when his side recorded a perfect record in the previous qualifying round.
The Eagles will again be without striker Ikechukwu Uche, who is suffering from a long-term knee injury, while Danny Shittu, Sani Kaita, Yusuf Mohammed and Adefemi Olubayo are also sidelined.
Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel is fit again after an ankle injury sidelined him for several weeks. He is expected to start against the Harambee Stars.
Lokomotiv Moscow striker Peter Odemwingie has been the outstanding player for Nigeria in their last two games, and he has also expressed confidence of victory in Kenya.
“We cannot take the Kenyans for granted because they have not beaten us for a long time now," he stated. "We must therefore play as a group to win the match. Don’t forget that despite the fact that we beat them 3-0 in Abuja, they were not an easy side. Besides, they want to be part of the African Nations Cup next year and I believe that will be their biggest motivation.
"We also want to go to the World Cup, but we must show more determined than they will if we want to win. With a win, and God help us, we might just find ourselves at the top of the group ahead of Tunisia."
Coach Shuaibu Amodu has come under fire as Nigeria find themselves in a tight corner. The Super Eagles were previously perceived to have a relatively easy pathway to South Africa.
Amodu has been blamed for poor tactics and team selection, even when his side recorded a perfect record in the previous qualifying round.
The Eagles will again be without striker Ikechukwu Uche, who is suffering from a long-term knee injury, while Danny Shittu, Sani Kaita, Yusuf Mohammed and Adefemi Olubayo are also sidelined.
Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel is fit again after an ankle injury sidelined him for several weeks. He is expected to start against the Harambee Stars.
Lokomotiv Moscow striker Peter Odemwingie has been the outstanding player for Nigeria in their last two games, and he has also expressed confidence of victory in Kenya.
“We cannot take the Kenyans for granted because they have not beaten us for a long time now," he stated. "We must therefore play as a group to win the match. Don’t forget that despite the fact that we beat them 3-0 in Abuja, they were not an easy side. Besides, they want to be part of the African Nations Cup next year and I believe that will be their biggest motivation.
"We also want to go to the World Cup, but we must show more determined than they will if we want to win. With a win, and God help us, we might just find ourselves at the top of the group ahead of Tunisia."
