Kenya coach Adel Amrouche
Kenya coach Adel Amrouche is banking on Francis Kahata to reproduce the form that saw him grab a wonderful goal for the Harambee Stars in their first leg World Cup qualifying game against Nigeria.
The Thika United forward’s stunning free-kick beat Super Eagles goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama to help his country pick up a point in their 1-1 draw in Calabar on March 23.
Kahata, who is one of Kenya’s set-piece takers, fluffed a glorious opportunity to give the Harambee Stars a two-goal advantage before Italy-based Nnamdi Oduamadi last-gasp effort saved the Eagles from a shock defeat at the hands of the minnows.
Amrouche, who will miss the services of France-based striker Dennis Oliech in the return leg fixture against the African champions in Nairobi on June 5, is relying on the strike partnership of Belgium-based Johanna Omollo and Kahata for victory.
The former Burundi coach regretted that Oliech’s ineligibility for the encounter, fearing the team could struggle to break down the Nigerian defence. The Ajaccio star will miss the crucial match alongside goalkeeper Arnold Origi after accumulating two yellow cards each in the qualifiers.
“Oliech is the only striker who has impressed me perhaps in Africa,” Amrouche was quoted by StarAfrica as saying in Nairobi during the week.
“He can confront any defence single handedly and destroy it and leave it for dead. I wish Kenya could produce more strikers of Oliech’s calibre, we can go very far. Indeed, even many strikers playing in the English League, only few you can compare with Oliech. He is a cut above the rest.”
The Belgian urged coaches in the East African country to put more effort in identifying and grooming strikers and defenders (central and left full backs), because these were lacking in the national te
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