Michael Olunga, the captain of the Harambee Stars, is certain that his team would advance from their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying doubleheader against Gabon and Seychelles.
The stars left for Gabon on Wednesday morning in preparation for their first game in Franceville on Thursday. From there, they traveled to Abidjan, Ivory Coast, where they would play Seychelles on Monday.
Olunga claims that their confidence has been formed by their recent away friendly matches against Qatar and Russia in advance of the qualifications.
“I can say that for the majority of our friendly matches we have played away and that is something we have not been doing for long. We played teams and got results away from home. You’ll need to give credit to the team for we have played different opponents away and done fantastic,” said Olunga.
Olunga was not alone in these thoughts; former Stars head coach Jacob ‘Ghost’ Mulee saw the previous friendlies as a boost to morale before the World Cup qualifying matches.
“I am very happy for the boys and their good preparations they have had. The boys under our new coach (Engin Firat) have managed to beat Qatar and pull a draw against Russia which is very positive”, said Mulee.
Olunga believes that they would not underestimate any squad in the group, which includes Kenya grouped with Ivory Coast, Gambia, and Burundi, three powerful nations.
“Gabon are a tough opponent and one of the best in Africa but I am optimistic the boys will give their best to get positive results, get the points and come back home to strategize. There is no underdog team in today’s football and we need to take every game with a lot of seriousness”, Olunga said.
Mulee is concerned, though, about the three defenders who aren’t playing because of injuries: Eric Ouma, Joseph Okumu, and Daniel Anyembe.
“I am a little bit worried because of the news of those injuries that send all our dependable defenders out of the two matches. To lose the likes of Anyembe (Daniel), Ouma (Eric), Okumu (Joseph) is a big set-back but still the coach will be able to find their replacement”, said Mulee.
