Newly Appointed Harambee Stars Coach Kimanzi Targets Cameroon 2021 AFCON

20th August 2019

The former Mathare FC tactician said he has adequate time to gauge players and chose a competitive squad that will help him achieve the dream that he has already set with his assistant Zedekiah ‘Zico’ Otieno

Newly appointed Harambee Stars head coach Francis Kimanzi (left) with Football Kenya Federation President Nick Mwendwa during his unveiling in Nairobi on August 20, 2019. PHOTO/ FKF
Newly appointed Harambee Stars head coach Francis Kimanzi (left) with Football Kenya Federation President Nick Mwendwa during his unveiling in Nairobi on August 20, 2019. PHOTO/ FKF
SUMMARY
  • First assignment for the former Mathare United tactician will be a scheduled friendly match against Uganda slated for September 8, 2019, in Nairobi
  • Kimanzi takes over from Frenchman Sebastian Migne who resigned from his post this month after a 15-month stint in charge
  • The last straw came as Kenya were humiliated 4-1 on post-match penalties at home to Tanzania to knock them out of the Africa Nations Championship (CHAN) qualifiers

NAIROBI, Kenya- Newly appointed Harambee Stars head coach Francis Kimanzi has said his target will be to qualify the national team to the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Yaunde, Cameroon.

He said he has adequate time to gauge players and chose a competitive squad that will help him achieve the dream that he has already set with his assistant Zedekiah ‘Zico’ Otieno.

“We laid a good foundation with our former coach, qualifying for AFCON for the first time in 15 years was a real achievement,” Kimanzi underlined during his unveiling in Nairobi on Tuesday.

READ ALSO: FKF Appoint Kimanzi As Harambee Stars Coach, Zico Named His Assistant

“This will be a continuation of the good job done by the former coach and we are looking forward to accomplishing our biggest challenge of getting the team back to the continental showpiece in Cameroon,” he underscored.

First assignment for the former Mathare United tactician will be a scheduled friendly match against Uganda slated for September 8, 2019, in Nairobi.

Stars will play yet another encounter against Libya, away in October, prior to their 2021 AFCON Qualifiers against Egypt and Togo in November.

Kimanzi takes over from Frenchman Sebastian Migne who resigned from his post this month after a 15-month stint in charge.

He will be deputised by Otieno, who will also double up as the Kenya Commercial Bank FC (KCB) coach, in the two-year deal.

This will be the third time that Kimanzi will be in charge of Harambee Stars, having previously taken charge between November 2008 and January 2009 and later in November 2011 and June 2012.

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Otieno, who is a former Kenya international and Gor Mahia FC assistant coach, is also not a stranger to the top job in the country as he handled the senior team as coach between December 2010 and December 2011.

Stars qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations finals under Migne for the first time in 15 years and a third-place group finish was not enough to garner support from the Kenyan faithful.

The last straw came as Kenya were humiliated 4-1 on post-match penalties at home to Tanzania to knock them out of the Africa Nations Championship (CHAN) qualifiers.

Kimanzi and his deputy will have to get straight back to work as they have the huge tasks of guiding Kenya through the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers as well as the 2022 World Cup campaign route.