Former Kenyan international Taiwo Atieno faulted Kenya’s football authorities for not helping to nurture talent saying since he quit international football in 2009, the country was yet to produce enough top-level players to replace the ageing ones.
He gave an example of how Harambee Stars have remained dependent on striker Michael Olunga, saying as a nation it was wrong to rely on one player. The towering Olunga, who features for Al Duhail SC in the Qatar Stars League, missed the Group J fixtures owing to an injury as Kenya struggled to score goals, especially in the game against Zimbabwe.
After the 2-1 win against Namibia, midfielder Richard Odada, who plays for Dundee United in the Scottish Premiership, admitted Kenya had missed the services of Olunga. “Of course, yes, we missed him he plays a huge role in our game, in our first game he should have scored, and even today against Namibia, if he was here and played he could have scored two or three goals, so we hope he will be fit and available for the next game against Cameroon,” said Odada.
Asked if he conquered with comments from a section of fans that Harambee Stars was over-relying on the former Gor Mahia striker, Atieno told SportsBoom.com: “I agree that there’s a wider issue. Kenya has, over time, struggled to develop and nurture footballing talent. With a population of 55 million, and an average age of 21, we shouldn’t be reliant on one player.
“When I was with Harambee Stars in 2009, we had the likes of Dennis Oliech, McDonald Mariga, and Victor Wanyama. But from 2009 to now, we haven’t produced enough top-level players. This needs to change ASAP.”
Kenya’s second fixture against Cameroon will be played in Uganda, denying the players an opportunity to play in front of their fans. Currently, Kenya has no Confederation of African Football (CAF) nor world governing body FIFA approved stadiums to host their international matches as Kasarani and Nyayo Stadiums are undergoing renovation in readiness to co-host the African Nations Championships (CHAN) and the 2027 AFCON.
Queried whether playing home matches away from home will affect Kenya’s performance in the qualifiers, Atieno, who previously played in the Football League for Walsall, Rochdale, Chester City, Darlington, Torquay United and Barnet and in the USL First Division for the Puerto Rico Islanders and Rochester Rhinos, responded: “Absolutely. Playing at home is crucial for any team.
“As a player, having the support of your home fans gives you that extra drive. It’s quite difficult to comprehend why a top six economy like Kenya doesn’t have FIFA-approved stadiums. This situation is clearly affecting the team’s performance.”
The last time Kenya played on home soil was on September 12, 2023, a friendly fixture against South Sudan, which they lost 1-0 at Kasarani Stadium.