Charles Thuku @PeopleSports11

Harambee Stars coach Francis Kimanzi has downplayed the virtuos performance of captain Victor Wanyama in his new role for his Canadian club side Montreal Impact as a central defender saying it does not necessarily translate into being drafted in the same position in the national team.

Kimanzi said in as much as he appreciates Wanyama’s breaking of new grounds in his new team’s set-up under the tutelage of legendary French striker Thiery Henry, he explicitly pointed out that the demands of club and national team are two different entities altogether.

“They (Montreal Impact) have apparently seen exceptional qualities in Wanyama at the position but when it comes to the national team it may not be spontaneous.

National team demands are totally different from that of club,” Kimanzi expounded.

Offensive midfielder 

Kimanzi cemented his argument on the instances when some of the past national team trainers have tried players who have shown for their clubs in certain positions only for the gamble to back-fire. 

Wanyama, a natural offensive midfielder, has only conceded one goal in Montreal Impact’s last two matches, in which the team beat DC United 1-0 and lost by the same margin to Orlando City, with pundits rating him as a red- hot contender for the central position in Harambee Stars.

Following Wanyama’s early exploits with Montreal Impact in the position, pundits had by and large expected him to make his debut at Harambee Stars central defense.

In essence, this would have left the scramble for Stars midfield to the likes of Gor Mahia duo of Ernest Wendo and Kenneth Muguna and South Africa’s Kaizer Chiefs’ Anthony Akumu as well as Johanna Omollo who turns out for Cercle Brugge of Belgium.

In the meantime, Kimanzi has given plaudits to Stars’ foreign legion who have continued shining for their respective teams, saying this was encouraging ahead of the back-to-back 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.