Continuity key to Emerging Stars’ Tanzania triumph - Kimani

Kenya beat Tanzania 4-1 at Nyayo National Stadium on Monday, but Kimani’s focus after the first-leg victory was less on the scoreline and more on the preparation that allowed his players to settle quickly despite having limited time together.

The coach said continuity was particularly important ahead of the two-legged tie, with the technical team opting for players who had already shared the pitch in previous assignments, mostly in the Under-20 team.

“We had very little time to prepare for this crucial tie,” Kimani said. “So it was very important that we get a group of players that have played together before," he added.

That familiarity, he believes, helped the players understand one another and eased the integration of players moving into the Under-23 setup.

Kimani also highlighted the contribution of Babu, who remains involved with the group despite the change in the technical structure.

Babu’s knowledge of the players gave Kimani and his staff an important source of information during a short preparation period.

“He understands a lot of these players better than us, seeing a lot of them just this week, up close,” Kimani said.

The coach further added that Babu had been “very, very instrumental” in providing information the new technical team might not otherwise have obtained during the week.

For Kimani, the transition into the Under-23 side is also evidence of the consistency shown by a group of players who have progressed through Kenya’s youth structures.

He praised the players for believing in the plan and executing it, rather than singling out individuals for the result.

The captain, Kevin Wangaya, also reinforced the coach's assertion that the plan they had worked.

"As he said, we had a plan, and yeah, the plan worked well. I'm so happy for the goal and for the team. For having the victory at home, feels so special," Wangaya noted.

Speaking about the special feeling of sharing the victory with his best friend Kelly Madada, who also scored in the match, Wangaya revealed that the two had encouraged each other before kick-off, setting a personal target to give their best for the country.

“Seeing my best friend score, it's a good feeling because we were in the same room before the game, we had a prayer, and yeah, we psyched each other up and we said, let's give the country all we can give them,” he said.

The challenge now is to preserve that understanding as the qualifying campaign develops.

The emphatic first-leg performance has given Emerging Stars a strong platform, but Kimani’s comments suggest that maintaining continuity could be just as important as the result itself when Kenya return to action.

Maintaining those relationships could prove crucial as the competition becomes more demanding in the coming qualifying rounds.