In a week of a brief change of guard at the local Football Kenya Federation, Harambee Stars will face Rwanda in the final Group E game of the 2022 FIFA World Cup at Nyayo Stadium today.
Despite the ongoing challenges with the FKF that have resulted in the Ministry of Sport’s Caretaker Committee suspending all local soccer leagues, the men’s national soccer team will attempt to retaliate with a win against Rwanda.
Kenya, which is now subordinate to a supervisory committee after the government’s dissolution of the Kenya Football Association, did poorly in the World Cup qualifying and will proudly play against the Amavubi Stars.
In a season that The fans promised high hopes when Kenya started the year in March with two international test wins against South Sudan and Tanzania, the stars looked more likely to reach their most coveted milestone, qualifying for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
In addition, a 1-1 draw against African giants Egypt in a game with 10 men showed how well the team is doing despite the missed Africa Cup qualifier.
Fans can visit Nyayo Stadium for that World Cup qualifier between Kenya and Rwanda not entered
However, five games in Group E qualification; it is a case of broken promises, broken dreams for some, and utter disappointment for others. This was not intended, but it certainly happened.
Harambee stars were expected to leave their mark on their long overdue World Cup stint, but in the end it was tears, disillusionment and confusion.
Mali is at the top of Group E with an unassailable 13 points and is guaranteed to make it into the final qualifying round with one game to go.
Uganda is in second place with nine points, followed by Kenya in third place with three points. Rwanda is at the bottom by one point.
How did Harambee Stars find themselves in this mess? The FKF just shot themselves in the foot when, in the middle of a World Cup season, they dismissed then head coach Jacob ‘Ghost’ Mulee without further ado and replaced him with the Turkish tactician Engin Firat.
With a two-month contract, Firat, whose coaching record was not so enviable, put his line-up on the line in the two decisive games against Mali.
In the first leg at Stade Adrar in Agadir, Morocco, Firat’s lineup was dismissed by fans on social media after dislocating some veteran players while benching natural wingers.
The Eagles, who do not run a national soccer league, took a walk in the park and dispossessed Kenya with ease.
In the second leg, Kenya missed many chances despite a significantly improved performance. After a 5-0 and 1-0 away and home defeat, Kenya were eliminated from qualifying with two games remaining.
In the 90th minute of the game against Uganda last week, goalkeeper Brian Bwire gave Uganda Cranes an easy goal to draw 1-1 in Kampala.
Harambee Stars took the lead in the 62nd minute with a header from Michael Olunga and looked like a rare win against the Cranes in Kampala before Bwire’s mistake.
Today, in what is likely to be the last game of the Turkish coach Firat, there is nothing but pride.
The 51-year-old coach was signed on September 21 by the deposed FKF President Nick Mwendwa with a two-month contract.
In the last four meetings between the two teams, Harambee Stars have won twice, Rwanda once and once, a 1-1 draw.
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