Former Kenya international Taiwo Atieno believes Harambee Stars will stand a good chance to get a positive result from their double-headed 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying fixture against Cameroon but only if “they are clinical in front of the goal.”

The East African nation will continue with their quest to qualify for a seventh appearance at the 35th edition of the biennial African football tournament to be held in Morocco when they take on the Indomitable Lions in a Group J match.

Kenya will first travel to face Cameroon in the first meeting on October 7 in Yaounde before the return match at Uganda’s Stade Nelson Mandela Stadium on October 15. As it stands, Kenya is leading Group J with four points, the same number as Cameroon, who are second.

Kenya kicked off their qualification campaign with a 0-0 draw against Zimbabwe at Mandela Stadium on September 6 before recovering to beat Namibia 2-1 in their matchday two fixture at Orlando Stadium in South Africa on September 10.

KENYA MUST BE AMBITIOUS AND CLINICAL IN FRONT OF GOAL
Atieno, who is of English and Kenyan heritage but represented Kenya in the qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup 2010 and the African cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers, admits though Harambee Stars will face a tough challenge coming up against the African powerhouse, ambitious display especially in the final third, would swing the game in their favour.

“It will be a tough challenge against Cameroon. Defensively, we need to be well-organised, but we have to be ambitious and attack when opportunities arise. Scoring goals will be key, but the team must remain balanced,” Atieno, who made his debut for Kenya as a late substitute in the June 2009 qualifier against Mozambique, told SportsBoom.com.

Asked on what formation of play Kenya could thrive against the Indomitable Lions, Atieno said: “I’d like to see Harambee Stars adopt either a 4-3-3 or an attacking 4-4-2 formation. We need to exploit the flanks, get the ball into the box, and create goal-scoring chances. It’s about making the most of our opportunities and being clinical in front of goal.”

Atieno, who managed five caps for Kenya, believes the East African nation, who are under the tutelage of Turkish coach Engin Firat, should have picked more than four points from their opening two matches.

“I think we’ve done reasonably well so far. It’s still early days, and we need to push for more victories. With the talent we have, we could have potentially come away with more points, but it’s about building momentum now,” explained Atieno.

After firing blanks against the Warriors, Kenya rediscovered their scoring boots with striker John Avire, who plays for Egyptian club misr el makasa and midfielder Duke Abuya, currently in the books of Young Africans (Yanga SC) of Tanzania, scoring two second half goals to help sink the Brave Warriors, whose goal came via Orlando Pirates midfielder Deon Hotto.