Kenya set to face Seychelles in a must-win World Cup qualifier

The national Harambee Stars will this evening seek to bounce back from the heartbreaking 2-1 loss suffered against Gabon last Thursday when they take on the Seychelles in their second World Cup qualifier on Monday night in the Ivory Coast.

Kenya will take on the islanders at the Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny in Abidjan. Stars have been camping in the West African nation since Friday, preparing for what many observe as a must-win clash for the Engin Firat-led outfit.

Stars surrendered a 1-0 halftime lead to lose 2-1 to Gabon, with the winning goal coming two minutes from time, much to the disappointment of Kenyan players and fans alike. Much has been said about the quality of both the players and the coaching staff, and they have a chance to somehow save face against the Seychelles.

The islanders suffered the biggest World Cup qualifier defeats so far after shipping in nine goals against the Ivory Coast on Saturday, and they will equally be seeking to bounce back against Kenya, making it an interesting clash to look forward to.

Kenya have been handed a major boost ahead of the game as left-back Erick Ouma was pictured in training with the rest of the group on Sunday, an indication that he could be ready to feature. The Sweden-based defender missed the game against Gabon through injury, and his replacement, Abud Omar, looked overwhelmed throughout the game.

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Stars last played the Seychelles in 2015 during an international friendly match, picking up a 2-0 win. They met in the 2014 World Cup qualifiers in 2011, winning 3-0 away and 4-0 in Nairobi, and on paper, Kenya have the upper hand and should win the game comfortably, although Stars’ history shows they tend to struggle in games that they are expected to win easily.

Coach Firat has already made it clear that they have to beat the Seychelles, and he will be hoping that his team is not ‘unlucky’ as he claimed they were against Gabon.

“To concede a goal in the last minutes hurts a lot, but it does not change our minds for our future. We have to win the next match. Next time, we will have our full squad to show how good we are. We will go there to win; there is no other point because we need these points. In this group, all teams are very strong,” he stated.

Kenya squad in Ivory Coast

Goalkeepers: Patrick Matasi, Joseph Ochuka, and Ian Otieno

Defenders: Nabi Kibunguchy, Haniff Wesonga, Daniel Sakari, Dennis Nganga, Johnstone Omurwa, Abud Omar, Amos Nondi, and Eric Ouma

Midfielders: Ayub Masika, Alfred Scriven, Duke Abuya, Rooney Onyango, Duncan Otieno, Richard Odada, Kenneth Muguna, Anthony Akumu, Timothy Ouma, and Eric Johanna

Forwards: Masud Juma, Michael Olunga, and Benson Omala

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