Kenya's Harambee Stars to face Liberia at home in November
Harambee Stars will play Liberia’s Lone Stars in a yet to be agreed on date in next month’s FIFA international calendar, Football Kenyan Federation confirmed on Wednesday.
Advertisement
The next FIFA international calendar begins on November 7-15.
The federation said that the planned friendly match is part of the measures of keeping the team active to ensure that head coach Stanley Okumbi gets time to work with the players on a regular basis and also to assess their progress.
“It’s true we have planned for the friendly in the next window. We have not settled on a venue yet, but probably it will be at the Kasarani Stadium,” FKF’s Communication Manager, Barry Otieno told Daily Nation Sport.
Just a week ago, Stars stunned Democratic Republic of Congo 1-0 in an international friendly match in Kinshasa with striker Michael Olunga scoring the lone goal.
It was first major win away from home for Stars since 2002 when they beat Cape Verde in Praia en-route to the 2004 Africa Cup of Nations finals.
Stars have a better head-to-head record over the Liberians from their only two meetings in World Cup qualifiers in 1989 where Kenya won 1-0 on aggregate. The teams drew 0-0 in January in Monrovia before Stars won 1-0 at home on 12 August, 1989.
At the same time, the federation has planned a number of friendly matches for the national women’s team Harambee Starlets.
The Starlets jet out today for Marrakech, Morocco, where they are expected play three friendly matches. The team will tackle the Moroccan national side on October 16 and two other select teams.
All matches are to be played in Marrakech, a city located 323 kilometres south of the capital Rabat.
The Starlets will then face Cameroon in a two-leg tie at home and away and also clash with Egypt during the same period.
The David Ouma-coached side will first battle the Cameroonians on October 22 in Nairobi before facing them in the return leg in Yaounde on November 5, in what should be their final build-up match before they begin their quest for the Africa Women Cup of Nations title.
The two legged fixture will sandwich the one against Egypt whom they confront on October 28 in Nairobi.
“We hope that the November 5 will be their final build-up and that they will stay in Cameroon after the match as they await the Afcon finals kick off. These plans are however subject to changes,” Otieno added.
The continental showpiece, where Kenya will be making her maiden appearance, begins on November 19 to December 3.
Kenya is pooled in Group B alongside defending champions Nigeria, Mali and Ghana, while hosts Cameroon are in pool A together with Egypt, South Africa and Zimbabwe.
credit: www.nation.co.ke