Olunga reveals WCQ target despite Harambee Stars dropping recent points
By Joel Sang, June 18, 2024
Harambee Stars captain Michael Olunga is still confident about Kenya’s chances to qualify for the 2026 World Cup despite dropping points against Burundi and Ivory Coast.
In the games played in Lilongwe, Malawi, Kenya earned a point following a 1-1 draw against the Swallows before a goalless draw against the Elephants gave them another point.
Although chances of getting an outright qualification to the 2026 finals are slim, Olunga is optmistic.
“Things didn’t work to our expectations. However, we have to look at the positive side of things. We have to fight hard in the remaining six games to ensure we finish at least second to grab a playoff spot,” the Al Duhail striker said as quoted by a local publication.
Olunga, understands the criticism that comes his way, especially that he is the captain of the team.
“As the team captain and the face of the national team, I have to lead from the front and take responsibility when things go south. When I score goals, I get some flowers and when I miss chances, I get bashed. But we shouldn’t dwell too much on negatives,” he added.
Firat’s assessment
Olunga’s assessment comes after positive analyses from his coach, Engin Firat.
“We played mostly with local players against those competing at the highest level. If you look around, I am proud of the boys because, in the last six months, we played against the current Asian champions, Qatar, and won.
“We also nearly won against the former European champions, Russia. Against the current African champions, we deserved to win.
“As I said, we should have won against Burundi, and a win against Ivory Coast would have put us in a different situation. But we have a team that is on a growth path. Our big aim is AFCON 2027 at home. Therefore, I think we are on a good path,” Firat said then.
Harambee Stars are fourth in Group F with five points behind African champions who lead with 10 points, Gabon have nine and are third while The Gambia are fifth with three and Seychelles, bottom of the table, have no points at this juncture.
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