Harambee Stars braced for tough away matches, says skipper Olunga

Harambee Stars captain Michael Olunga is optimistic they will collect points from their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers double-header against Gabon and Seychelles.

Stars departed on Wednesday morning for Gabon ahead of their opening match on Thursday in Franceville before heading to Abidjan, Ivory Coast for their clash with Seychelles on Monday.

Olunga says their recent friendly matches away to Qatar and Russia have shaped their confidence ahead of the qualifiers.

“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’s sentiments were echoed by former Stars head coach Jacob ‘Ghost’ Mulee who termed the recent friendlies as a morale booster ahead of the World Cup qualifiers.

“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.

With Kenya also pooled alongside powerhouses Ivory Coast, Gambia and Burundi, Olunga says they will not underrate any team in the group.

“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 however worried about the missing defenders who have been ruled out due to injuries among them; Daniel Anyembe, Joseph Okumu and Eric Ouma.

“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.