It’s make or break for Williamson’s men
Harambee Stars coach Bobby Williamson has conceded that it will take some effort for the national U-23 team to overhaul a 3-0 deficit that the team suffered against Botswana in an African Nations Championship (Chan) qualifiers a fortnight ago.
These two teams face off again, in the return leg of the tie Nyayo National Stadium on Saturday evening.
Botswana led by coach Paul Pio jetted in the country on Thursday morning and checked in at the Hill Park Hotel.
Kenya requires to win the match by four clear goals to progress to the next round of the qualifiers, where Zambia lies in wait.
“It is a big ask for us (to score four goals against Botswana), but then, football is a strange game. They managed to score thrice against us in the second half and I believe we can score an equal number of goals against them in 90 (minutes),” Williamson said.
MASSIVE TASK
Trouble is that Kenyan teams are not exactly renowned for their goal scoring abilities in the face of such a massive task.
The last time the national football team scored four goals in a single match was almost five years ago when they beat Seychelles 4-0 in a World Cup qualifier.
One of the team’s dependable players Michael Olunga could yet miss this tie owing to club commitments.
The 21 year old was on Thursday afternoon still finding his way back to Nairobi from Awendo after featuring for Gor Mahia in a league match against Sony Sugar.
Olunga will then head to Kisumu immediately after the match for yet another league tie on Sunday afternoon.
Rwandan officials John Bosco Niyitegeka, Raymond Bwiliza and Hudu Munyemana will officiate the match.