Monday 12 November 2012

Victor Wanyama,Origi out of Tanzania friendly

Harambee Stars and Celtic holding midfielder Victor Mugubi Wanyama and first choice goalkeeper Arnold Origi will not be available for Kenya’s friendly match against Tanzania set for Wednesday in Mwanza Tanzania.
According to FKF media liaison officer John Kariuki, Mugubi has an injury he picked in his teams league match over the weekend.
Origi who has a match on Wednesday for his club will also not be available though no reason has been given over his pending absence. The friendly match falls within Fifa calendar and per the Fifa statutes, clubs are obligated to release players for national assignment.
Belgian based Ayub Timbe is expected by Monday afternoon .Other foreign based players including skipper Dennis Oliech, Patrick Osiako, Brian Mandela, and Jerry Santos have joined camp. The team jets out on Tuesday morning aboard Precision airline.
Meanwhile because  of a poor Fifa ranking, Kenya find themselves in a tough group of the forthcoming Cecafa Tusker Challenge Cup to kick off in Kampala on November 24.
Uganda, the best team in the Cecafa [Council of East and Central African Football Associations] region will head Group ‘A’ and the Kenyans will not only have the daunting task of facing the defending champion Cranes of Uganda, but also Ethiopia, the only team qualified for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa in January.
The Cranes have a Fifa ranking of 22 in Africa and 86th in the world. Ethiopia are 28th in Africa and 102 in the world while Kenya are 39th in Africa and 130 in the world, one of its worst ever placing.
The fourth team in the group is South Sudan, who without much competition since being admitted to the Fifa family early this year, have an African ranking of 51 and 200 in the world. South Sudan will be taking part in the Challenge Cup for the first time as an independent country.
Organisers, Federation of Uganda Football Associations [Fufa] announced the draw at the Serena Hotel in Kampala on Monday morning. Cecafa secretary general Nicholas Musonye of Kenya was in attendance.
Moses Magogo, Vice President of Fufa said the federation had everything in place for a competitive tournament at the Nelson Mandela Stadium, Namboole in the outskirts of Kampala.
All except one [Djibouti] of the 12 members of Cecafa will be taking part in the event on its third and final year of sponsorship by East African Breweries Limited through its flag bearer brand Tusker beer. The final at Namboole will be on December 8.
The second best rated team in the tournament is guests Malawi who are ranked 27th in Africa and 101 in the world and are heading Group ‘C’ comprising also Rwanda, Eritrea and Zanzibar.
The pools (Africa - World ranking):
Group ‘A’:
(22 - 86)Uganda
(28 - 102)Ethiopia
(39 - 130)Kenya
(51- 200)South Sudan
Group’ B’:
(29 - 102)Sudan
(38 - 128)Burundi
(41 - 134)Tanzania
(48 - 193)Somalia
Group ‘C’:
(27 - 101)Malawi
(37 - 122) Rwanda
(47 - 192) Eritrea
(unranked)Zanzibar
The Kenya domestic season ended on Saturday with Tusker retaining the League title. The Kenya national team to the Challenge Cup is expected to comprise, almost in entirety, the top players who took part in the thrilling Tusker Premier League.
They will, therefore, have no rest before embarking on the preparations for Kampala. But meanwhile, Kenya are set to play an international friendly against Tanzania in Mwanza on Wednesday.
Harambee Stars are programmed to leave Nairobi on Tuesday. Some foreign-based players are expected to be in the team.

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