Emerging Stars Coach Kimanzi: We Can Stage Big Sudan Comeback
22nd March 2019
National Under 23 team return home to prepare for the second leg of their Africa Under 23 second round qualifier on Tuesday with a 0-2 deficit to erase
- Kimanzi's team have a daunting 0-2 deficit to erase at the MISC Kasarani for the chance to meet either Libya and Nigeria in the third and final round of the Africa Under 23 Cup of Nations qualifiers
- However, speaking after the team returned back to the country on Friday morning, Kimanzi who is also the head coach of SportPesa Premier League (SPL) side Mathare United FC maintained all was not lost as he shifted focus on the return leg
- The third round winner will play in the Africa U23 Cup of Nations, set to be held in Egypt in November 2 where the top three finishers will earn the ticket to represent Africa at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics
NAIROBI, Kenya- National under 23 team Emerging Stars boss, Francis Kimanzi believes the side can get their Tokyo 2020 Olympics qualification bid back on track when they host Sudan on Tuesday in Nairobi during the second leg of their second round fixture.
Kimanzi's team have a daunting 0-2 deficit to erase at the MISC Kasarani for the chance to meet either Libya and Nigeria in the third and final round of the Africa Under 23 Cup of Nations qualifiers.
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A Waleed Bakhit double in the 22nd and 67th minutes of the tie played on Wednesday night caught the Emerging Stars cold as their dream of featuring at a first ever Olympics in football took a serious knock.
However, speaking after the team returned back to the country on Friday morning, Kimanzi who is also the head coach of SportPesa Premier League (SPL) side Mathare United FC maintained all was not lost as he shifted focus on the return leg.
“It’s a game that I think we were unlucky not to have picked up something. We gave out our all and I believe we should have had a better result.
Positive results
"We still have a chance on Tuesday in spite of the two-goal deficit and I'm confident that we’ll get a positive result,” Kimanzi who led senior team Harambee Stars to the final round of qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations remarked according to the Football Kenya Federation.
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The third round winner will play in the Africa U23 Cup of Nations, set to be held in Egypt in November 2 where the top three finishers will earn the ticket to represent Africa at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.