City Stars youngster eyes Junior national team call up

Nairobi City Stars attacking midfielder Daniel Odhiambo is glad that efforts put in having the FIFA suspension uplifted in the near future will open the door for him and other budding players to feature for the national U20 team.

The country is still suspended from international football by the world's governing following the move by former Cabinet Secretary for Sports Amina Mohamed to kick out the Football Kenya Federation Executive Committee out of office.

However, strides towards uplifting of the suspension have been made from the time the new Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba assumed office last month much to the delight of the football fraternity.

Odhiambo says that lifting the sanction will be of benefit to the players who have been reduced to playing local matches as FIFA warned its members were warned of coming into sporting contact with Kenya until advised otherwise.

The 19-year old welcomed the move to unlock the stalemate saying it revived his dream of featuring for the Rising Stars team that was in the risk of not materializing as age was catching up with him and his peers.

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"The lifting of the suspension will see some of us who have dreams of playing in the junior national team fight for it. We can't afford to lose more time as age is catching up too. I hope everything will be sorted out soon and the door to play in international matches will be reopened," he said.

The St. Anthony's Boys, Kitale product who joined Simba wa Nairobi in August from National Super League side Kibera Black Stars in the meantime is confident of punching above his weight in his maiden season in the top flight.

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The dreadlocked winger who is also pursuing a Diploma in Business Management at CTC Pasha College in Dagoretti said he the prolonged pre-season had given him ample time to grasp coach Nicholas Muyoti's philosophy and tapping lessons on how to conduct himself in the top division from the senior players.

"I have my own targets but those of the team come first. I hope I will be scoring and bagging assists for fun. I know hard work and discipline will take me to the next phase of my career," he added.