Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) is set to televise live the friendly match pitting the national team Harambee Stars against hosts Mauritius in the Four Nations Tournament which comes to a conclusion in Port Louis on Sunday.
The game which starts 2.30pm EAT will be played at Cote D’Or National Sports Complex in a culmination of the week-long tournament that involved four countries including Djibouti and Pakistan.
Kenya beat lowly ranked Pakistan 1-0 on Wednesday after Kakamega Homeboyz forward Moses Shumah who was making his international debut, scored the only goal of the game in the 17th minute of the game from close range.
The Wednesday afternoon encounter was supposed to be East Africans’ second in the tournament, but they missed their opening game on Sunday against Djibouti due to what was termed as a ‘lack of a flight to Mauritius.
Team head coach Engin Firat will be demanding more from his players in the game after decrying the display in their 1-0 win over Pakistan in their first match on Wednesday.
“Our goal is test players eligible to play for us” he said.
“We are here to see which players will help us in the long term, who will move up when they have the opportunity”, emphasized coach Firat.
Kenya have never lost to Mauritius in their seven previous meetings, winning four and drawing three.The Micheal Olunga skippered side and Mauritius drew 0-0 in their last meeting in October 2015, in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
The hosts arrive for the game with a 3-1 defeat by Djibouti, ending a possible positive sequence of victories after the triumph against Pakistan. The team currently ranks 184th placement in the FIFA ranking, being one of the last on the list while their opponents Kenya are ranked 102nd.
Harambee Stars made their return to international football after a two-year absence with a friendly match against Iran which they narrowly lost going down 2-1 to the 24th-ranked Iranian team at Azadi Stadium in Tehran.
According to the Turkish tactician Firat,his key agenda is to prepare a formidable team for the upcoming CAF and FIFA assignments.
“This tournament offers us diversity in the opponents we shall face, especially at a time when most African nations are engaged in AFCON Qualifiers,” noted Firat.
“Playing three matches gives me an opportunity to give more players a chance to show what they can offer,” added the coach.
The team’s next competitive assignment will be the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, set to kick off between November 13 and November 21, 2023. The draw for the qualification stage shall be conducted on July 12, 2023, in Cotonou, Benin.
