Monday, March 9, 2009

Hey: Kenya Can Get to 2010 World Cup


We've often chronicled the ups and downs of Kenyan football.
Now, with new coach Antoine Hey in place, Kenya is not only looking for on and off-field stability but a place in the 2010 World Cup.

Hey thinks he can lead them there.

The final group phase gets underway at the end of March, with Kenya's Harambee Stars hosting Tunisia in a group that also includes Nigeria and Mozambique.

The team that tops the group qualifies for the 2010 World Cup, and the top three will go to the 2010 African Cup of Nations finals.

While a Nations Cup place would seem a realistic target, Hey is thinking big.

"We are six games away from the World Cup. We are about to rewrite history because we are not aiming at anything less," he said.

"We must join the best teams in the world when the World Cup comes to Africa for the first time."

Hey was appointed last month to replace sacked local coach Francis Kimanzi, who guided the Harambee Stars into the final qualifying round.

He was most recently in charge of Liberia, having also had spells with Lesotho and Gambia.

Hey has named a 28-player squad for the Tunisia match that includes the recall of former captain Musa Otieno, a South Africa-based defender who had retired from international competition.

He has also named fellow German Kemal Halat, who was with him in Liberia, as his assistant, and Kenyan, Razak Siwa as goalkeepers' coach.

Kenya's hopes of beating Tunisia, however, suffered a setback after French club AJ Auxerre said striker Dennis Oliech would not be available due to injury.

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