Kenya dealt blow ahead of Flames clash

Kenya’s Harambee Stars have been dealt a blow ahead of Wednesday’s 2014 World Cup qualifier against the Flames as they will be without four key players, including captain Dennis Oliech.

But even new captain Victor Wanyama, who plays for Scottish champions Celtic, has been ruled out due to injury, and so, too, Norway-based shot-stopper Arnold Origi.

They will also have to do without Belgium-based midfielder Johanna Omollo due to suspension.

According to media reports from the East African domain, Wanyama got injured in their midweek defeat by Nigeria while Origi is out with a finger injury.

Omollo picked his second consecutive yellow-card against the Super Eagles while Oliech is unavailable due to frosty relations with Harambee Stars coach Adel Amrouche.

But Flames caretaker coach Eddington Ng’onamo has said they will not read much into the absence of the Harambee Stars’ key men.

“While there is need to analyse the strength of our opponents, we will not be carried away by the absence of their key players. The focus is on our preparations,” said Ng’onamo.

Kenya sit at the bottom of Group F, six points behind leaders Nigeria with only two games left.

But Football Kenya Federation (FKF) chaiperson Sam Nyamweya and Amrouche are confident that the Harambee Stars can recover from their mid-week loss and conquer the Flames on Wednesday.

FKF chairperson Sam Nyamweya was quoted, expressing hope that the team can recover and win their remaining matches against the Flames and Namibia’s Brave Warriors.

“FKF notes the improved results recorded by the national team in the past six months and especially the influence brought by coach Adel Amrouche. Our assignment is to ensure the team wins the remaining World Cup qualifiers away to Malawi and at home to Namibia, and prepares well to win the Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup in Nairobi this year,” Nyamweya was quoted by one of Kenya’s leading dailies, Daily Nation, as saying.

Amrouche said he was happy, delighted and satisfied with the performance of his boys.

The Kenyans, who were expected to arrive yesterday, are booked at Sunbird Mount Soche.