Football
Playing Home Matches Away from Home worked against Harambee Stars’ 2025 AFCON qualification bid
Harambee Stars’ 2025 AFCON hopes dwindle as playing home matches in Uganda affects their performance, but players remain hopeful ahead of final qualifiers
Image Credits: Pulse Sports Kenya
Harambee Stars duo of Bryne Omondi and Geoffrey Ochieng aver that the team would be on the brink of sealing a ticket to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations finals had the team not been staging home matches in Uganda.
Stars are staring at the possibility of spectating in the 2025 finals, set for Morocco, as Zimbabwe are closer to punching the remaining ticket in Group J of the qualifiers.
Should Zimbabwe hold Stars to a draw when the two sides meet next month in the second leg, the Warriors will sail through at the expense of Stars, with a match to spare in the group.
The two players feel Kenya would not be in this position had rounds one and four of the qualifiers against Zimbabwe and Cameroon been played in Nairobi rather than Uganda.
Kenya has been hosting her home matches at the Mandela Stadium in Namboole, Uganda due to the ongoing renovations at Kasarani Stadium and the inability of Nyayo to stage the qualifiers.
PLAYING IN UGANDA HURTING STARS' CHANCES
The two players believe that the team would not have dropped five points had the matches against Zimbabwe and Cameroon had the matches been played in Nairobi.
Stars were held by Zimbabwe to a barren draw and lost 1-0 to five-time African champions Cameroon in what would have been home matches.
The two matches were staged in Uganda with Football Kenya Federation locking out fans in the tie against Cameroon which would have attracted fans in their droves given the big names in the Indomitable Lions' team.
Omondi, who has started in three of the four qualifiers played so far, regretted that the support from the 12th man hasn't been coming forth, much to the disadvantage of the team.
"I don't think we would have dropped points in the two matches played. We played well in the two matches against Zimbabwe and Cameroon but honestly, it felt like we were honoring an away assignment. I am sure Kenyans would have shown up in big numbers to push us to get maximum points," said Omondi in an exclusive interview with SportsBoom.
His sentiments were backed by Ochieng, who claimed that Cameroon were already through to the finals because of partly, playing home matches in front of fans.
Ochieng, who was part of the last round of qualifiers against the former champions, said he was conscious of the magic fan support can do in getting positive results having witnessed it firsthand at Gor Mahia.
I really wish the team would have played in an atmosphere like the one we encountered in Yaounde. The connection between the Cameroonian players and fans was there for all to see. They pushed the team throughout and in the end, they won the match convincingly. Fan support is always crucial and the lack of it in the two matches played has been felt.
Geoffrey Ochieng
THERE IS STILL HOPE
Despite the back-to-back losses the team suffered at the hands of Cameroon, the two players are far from losing hope of getting the ticket to Morocco.
Their aspirations will only come to pass if Kenya beats Zimbabwe and Namibia next month, in matches that will still be played in away territory as Kasarani has not been passed fit as of yet.
Beating the two teams will not be enough as Stars will have to hope that Cameroon will do them a favour by flooring Zimbabwe in Yaounde.
Omondi acknowledges that the team owes Kenyans redemption and a ticket to Morocco just as promised before the start of the qualifiers.
We have to redeem ourselves in the remaining two matches. We were expecting to get something from the matches against Cameroon, but we didn't despite playing well in the second leg. We are capable of winning the two matches and qualifying for the AFCON.
Bryne Omondi
AFCON EXPERIENCE HAS LAID STRONG FOUNDATION FOR CHAN
Meanwhile, the two say the experience they have gathered from the AFCON qualifiers will be of huge benefit in the CHAN qualifiers and the tournament set for February next year.
Stars are scheduled to play South Sudan in the first leg of round one of the qualifiers on Friday, October 25 with the return leg being held a week later.
Omondi says the team has beat South Sudan by all means and give Kenyans something to smile about.
"We shift focus to the CHAN qualifiers which we hope to win and restore the confidence of Kenyans to the team heading to the final round of the qualifiers. The AFCON qualifiers have prepared us well," said the former Tusker goalkeeper.
Ochieng is also of the opinion that a win over South Sudan will give the team momentum for the remaining international assignments in the calendar.
“Looping in local-based players in the AFCON qualifiers will ultimately benefit the team in the CHAN qualifiers and the tournament. The experience will help the team match opponents from North and West Africa," said Ochieng.
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