Harambee Stars head coach Engin Firat is pulling hair to find a notable substitute for his dependable goal scorer Michael Olunga.
Before leaving for Uganda on Monday morning, the Turkish coach said the injured Al Duhail striker would link up with the rest of the team before their vital Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Zimbabwe.
But he was unsure if the Harambee Stars captain would be involved against the Brave Warriors.
The towering forward will have a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to determine the severity of his injury.
Firat said there is little chance that Olunga, who was injured during the first few weeks of the Qatar Stars League, will feature in the upcoming games.
"It is unlikely that Michael Olunga will participate in the first game. He is scheduled to have an MRI. Still, as I mentioned, the odds are slim. Numerous players have already left us. We must come up with solutions," Firat stated.
However, Firat is not entirely stuck. If the chips are down, he could look to Benson Omalla, the top scorer in the Kenyan Premier League last season, for assistance.
Thankfully, Omalla claims he is prepared to take Olunga's place as Kenya's starting striker for the first two games.
"Being on the team means you must always be prepared because anything can happen and you might be needed," said Omalla.
"I have gained knowledge from the captain and the coaches during my time in the system. I believe in myself if given the chance."
Omalla, who left champions Gor Mahia for Lebanon, was included in the final roster for the two matches — against Namibia and Zimbabwe.
In addition, Omalla expresses his desire to play at the Africa Cup of Nations, saying he would punch above his weight.
"I am treating these qualifiers very seriously since I believe every player wants to feature at the highest level. I am optimistic we can succeed. I also want to compete at the highest level," Omalla said.
"Our preparations have gone well. We have been training well these past few days. We want to win our first game and get off to a strong start," he added.
