The highest ranked Eastern African national football team Uganda Cranes have touched down in Nairobi, Kenya for a crucial derby with Harambee Stars that commences an elusive journey to the pinnacle of world football, the FIFA World Cup, to the two nations.
Grouped with Rwanda and Mali in one pool with the West African nation hosting Rwanda a day earlier, Cranes and Harambee Stars will line up at the Nyayo stadium on Thursday evening looking to seize early impetus in the group.
Kenya and Uganda have faced off fifteen times since 2007 with the Cranes winning seven times to Harambee Star’s twin victories while the East African derby churned out six draws during the period
The records are starkly in favor of Mulutin Sredojevic’s Cranes despite a recent spate of un-Uganda like performances that occasioned the unceremonious departure of former head coach.
Led by maverick forward Emmanuel Okwi, Uganda’s contingent of twenty three players arrive in Nairobi at midnight from Ethiopia where they had pitched camp.
Some names familiar with Kenya’s football terrain like Khalid Aucho and Innocent Wafula who plodded for record Kenyan champions Gor Mahia are some of the players to watch with veteran Joseph Ochaya also well versed in the two nation’s football history.
The returning tactician popularly referred to as Michu saw his side lose 2-1 in a low key friendly match in Ethiopia and will have used the tie to gauge his players’ suitability with the Ugandan Premier League having ended weeks earlier.
Kenya on the other hand are settled in camp after a tense few days in which reports indicated that Football Kenya Federation’s failure to fully settle former coach Adel Amrouche’s arreas would lead to a forfeiture of the game.
“We are a team that has what it takes to fight till the end and gain a positive result in our 2022 World Cup qualifiers against Uganda, Rwanda and Mali,” said Harambee Star and Sofapaka midfielder Lawrence Juma
Kenya’s international contingent is expected to be fully settled by Tuesday evening to boost coach Jackob ‘Ghost Mulei’s ranks. They include Belgium based Joseph Okumu, Eric Ouma, Richard Odada, Eric Johanna Michael Olunga and Masud Juma.
