Nairobi News

Sports

Johanna Omollo excited by Kenya’s renewed hope for 2022 World Cup


Harambee Stars midfielder Johanna Omollo has expressed his excitement with the announcement that Kenya’s 2022 Fifa World Cup dream is back on track.

Stars have in the past few months flirted with a Fifa ban from competing in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers after Football Kenya Federation (FKF) severally defaulted on an Sh109 million debt owed to the team’s former coach Adel Amrouche.

COMPROMISE

But FKF president Nick Mwendwa on Friday hinted that a compromise had been reached with Amrouche, clearing the way for Kenya and Omollo to face neighbours Uganda, Rwanda and Mali in the qualifying rounds of the competition.

“We are really looking forward to this competition. It is a dream and we stand to create some history if we qualify because it will be the first time Kenya is playing at the World Cup,” said Omollo, who is based in Belgium.

“We have some momentum and confidence after playing at the (2019) Africa Nations Cup. We also posted draws against Egypt and Togo. These are seasoned sides.”

Omollo, who turns out for Cercle Brugge, spoke to Nairobi News from Europe on a day he facilitated the distribution of food rations to 300 vulnerable families in his native Dandora, courtesy of the Johanna Omollo Foundation.

TRAINING

The rations include 2kg packets of rice and sugar, maize flour, potatoes, cabbages and soap.

This is the third time in the past two months that the foundation is distributing food to needy families in Nairobi to mitigate the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

“I’m always motivated to share the little that I have with the people in Dandora, that’s where I come from. I’m encouraged that the government and other stakeholders are also doing their bit.”

Omollo further said that he has been forced into individual training after the league season was cancelled after the pandemic paralysed activities across Europe.