Shabana FC players and technical bench pray at Gusii Stadium/ANGWENYI GICHANAOkidi will deputise Kariobangi Sharks' William Muluya, who will lead the team in Ethiopia.
The Junior Stars were expected to depart for Addis Ababa on Monday afternoon for the tournament, which starts on November 15 and runs to December 2.
Kenya opens their campaign against Somalia on November 18.
Mwalala will be in charge of the Glamour Boys until Okidi returns from Ethiopia.
"I trust the technical bench led by Mwalala. I believe they will do a good job. He was with the team last week, and we won 1-0 against Ulinzi Stars. They have done a good job. I wish him all the best," said Okidi.
Mwalala, a CAF B license holder, previously coached Bandari, Nzoia Sugar, and KCB in the FKF Premier League. Mwalala will be in charge of the games against Nairobi United on Saturday at Gusii Stadium, followed by away fixtures against Murang'a Seal and Kenya Police FC.
Okidi asked the fans to be patient with the team. "I want to thank the fans for the support they always give us. They were initially upset when we lost three games at home. "
Okidi said the 1-0 win against Ulinzi Stars at Ulinzi Sports Complex was a turning point in their season. "At the beginning of the season, we set our targets of winning the league. It's still achievable," remarked the tactician.
The win against Ulinzi was a sigh of relief for Okidi after the team went four games without a win. Shabana now sits 7th on the log with 11 points from eight outings.
Separately, Mathare United coach John Kamau says Kericho Stadium is not suitable to host SportPesa Premier League matches due to its poor drainage.
"This is not a football pitch but a field for growing rice," he said after the team battled to a 1-1 draw at the rain-drenched field following heavy rains.
He also expressed his disappointment with the officiating after the Administration Police Service (APS) Bomet were awarded a controversial penalty in the dying minutes of the game.
"I rarely criticise referees, but I'm disappointed with the officiating. When games are not televised live, there are a lot of things that are happening. We need to do better in terms of officiating," noted the experienced tacticians.
