Under 23 Stars fall but win many hearts
The national U-23 football team’s elimination from the Africa Youth Championships cum Olympic Games qualifiers came with key lessons that the team will draw from in future.
The Kenyan lads were bundled out of both competitions despite a comfortable 4-1 win over Botswana. As it turned out, the damage caused to Kenya in a 3-0 first leg loss a fortnight ago in Lobatse proved costly.
“I have to admit we were lucky to advance. There are some players in the Kenyan team that we couldn’t contain in some spells, like shirt 14 (Micheal Olunga), 7 (Victor Ndinya) and 11 (John Njoroge),” who kept me on the edge. They are very talented with a great future,” Botswana coach Paul Pio observed after the match.
A majority of the estimated 5,000 fans who turned up at the Nyayo National Stadium to watch the match on Saturday evening were of the opinion that they were watching the future senior national team.
HAT TRICK
Most of the players aren’t quite the finished article as manifested by some misplaced passes, late tackles and missed goal scoring chances during the game. But they all stand to be in due course.
Olunga who missed the first leg owing to personal commitments, helped himself to a hat trick on Saturday.
The other goal scorer John Njoroge found the net through a wicked left footed shot from outside the box. David Gateri, John Ndinya, Ian Otieno and Stephen Wakhanya also deserve special mention.
“I will consider these players for the upcoming engagements (with the senior national team), they have impressed me and deserve a chance,” Stars coach Bobby Williamson said.