Rising Stars to play in Malawi tournament without head coach

Source: Capital FM Kenya
Author: Timothy Olobulu

NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 22 - Kenya's Rising Stars will play in the tri-nation tournament in Malawi without a head coach after Salim Babu was left behind in Nairobi, due to what the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) termed as a hitch in his travel documents.

Babu, who was appointed to the U20 team after his success with the Under-18 boys at last year's CECAFA Championship, has led the team in training for the past week they have been in residential camp.

In Malawi however, the team will be under his assistant, Anthony Akhulia. The Bidco United head coach took the team through their paces in their first session when they arrived in Lilongwe on Thursday.

The Kenyan boys start their campaign this evening against Zimbabwe on Friday afternoon, before they play hosts Malawi on Sunday, in their last match.

Captain Stanley Wilson meanwhile is confident the team will do well at the tournament and come back home with the trophy.

Wilson says the fact that most players were together at the Under-18 CECAFA Championship last year makes the team stronger, and he believes they have trained well for the past one week.

"This is one of the best selections I have been part of and I feel we are ready. We have trained well for the past one week and everyone looks sharp. We are confident that we will do well in the tournament," Wilson says.

He adds; "As a team, most of us were together at the Under-18 CECAFA and in football chemistry does a lot. We understand each other and we know how everyone plays so it will make it easier for us."

"We know every game will be tough but we are determined to show what we can do as a team and come back home with the trophy," added the midfielder.