The Kenyan national under 23 squad, Emerging Stars will be looking to book their place in the semi-finals once they clash with South Sudan today at exactly 1p.m in the ongoing CECAFA regional tournament.
The Emerging stars will go into the match up being the favorites after an impressive win against Djibouti that saw them top Group C with 3 points. Head Coach, Stanley Okumbi urged his squad to draw full motivation from their recent performance. “Our display against Djibouti was very solid and I know the boys will up their game against South Sudan. I am confident we will get our second win and hopefully progress to the next round of the tournament,” said Okumbi.
As they head into the match, Kenya would need only a draw to proceed to the semi-finals of the regional tournament. Kenyan duo of Boniface Omalla and Henry Meja have called on their counterparts to avoid any complacency, but fight for a win to bag the maximum points in the group. "I urge my teammates not to be complacent as this is a must win match for us. We are not only targeting the trophy, but I also want the top scorer accolade. What is important is that we should have a good game and score as many goals as possible," said Omalla
Omalla had not played competitive football since terminating his loan deal with Swedish Division One side FC Linkoping City on June 12,having joined a month earlier. He cited being played out of position, including as a goalkeeper, as one of the reasons for ending his contract which was to run until December this year. Henry Meja also supported Omalla's sentiments, being quite hopeful for the challenge ahead. "This is a must win game. I will do my best and I'm sure my teammates will also give their best to achieve our target then focus on the semi finals," said the Tusker forward.
If Kenya finishes top of Group C, their next match will be against the winner of group B which consists of Ethiopia, Eritrea and Burundi. The best third placed team will also be picked to advance to the last four.
Fixtures:
Kenya v South Sudan, Bahir Dar Stadium 1pm
Tanzania v DR Congo, Bahir Dar Stadium 4pm