Kenya’s Under-20 national team head coach Anthony ‘Viera’ Akhulia has hailed his charges for exhibiting a masterclass act in their opening match of the Four Nations tournament in Malawi.
The Kenyan lads stamped authority in the invitational tournament with an emphatic 3-1 win over Zimbabwe on Friday at Bundi Stadium in Lilongwe.
“That was a wonderful performance and I’m satisfied with how everybody played in the match. However, I feel there are still a few areas we’ll have to address before our next encounter,” Akhulia remarked.
“I cannot describe our opponents as weak because they put up an abrasive challenge and we gleaned a lot of lessons from the game which will be useful in the future.”
Migori Youth razor-sharp striker Elly Owande was the toast of the day, netting a brace in the ninth and 30th minutes before Hassan Kitsao added the third later in the game.
Denzel Mapua pounced on a defensive lapse to pull one back for the losers in stoppage time.
Akhulia, who was named head coach after Salim Babu failed to make the trip, said the tournament is instrumental in honing the skills of the budding stars — who will ply their trade for the senior team shortly.
The squad has a section of players who finished second to Uganda during the Cecafa U18 championships in December last year. Kenya lost 2-1 to Uganda in the tournament final at Moi Stadium, Kisumu.
“This competition is extremely significant to us. This team competed at the Cecafa Cup when Uganda defeated us in the final. I’d like to see the team improve. I want to ensure they grow,” he remarked.
The Rising Stars lineup combines quality and promise, with Issa Emuria playing goalkeeper.
Baron Ochieng’, Masinza Junior, Faiz Opande and Suleiman Manzur line up on defence. Stanley Omondi, Owande and Ouma Timothy are in midfield while Christopher Koloti, Linus Munyao and Kitsao Hassan lead the charge for goals. They play Malawi on Sunday.
