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The former AFC Leopards, Yanga and Tusker striker feels Kenya would have been successful had they not been overlooking some crucial details
Former Harambee Stars striker Boniface Ambani has identified two things that he feels have made it impossible for Kenya to become a mainstay at the Africa Cup of Nations and qualify for the World Cup.
Ambani was a goal machine in his heyday who had a reputation for timing excellent runs before finishing in sublime fashion. These skill sets served the clubs he played for a great deal, including Tusker, Yanga and AFC Leopards.
However, Ambani, who earned 12 caps for Kenya, scoring five goals, believes favouritism in national team selections prevented not just him but many others from helping Harambee Stars achieve its objectives back then.
“Many times, you get excluded from the national team because a certain coach prefers someone else to travel for international assignments,” Ambani told NTV.
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“I remember there was a time I was excluded that way from the national team and it hurt me alot because I had trained hard, but was not included in the final 23-man squad but the player who was included was injured, and had not even trained with the team, whereas someone on form like me was was excluded.
“The guy who was excluded would have provided an option and would have made the coach think, ‘even if Ambani is on the bench, I would have come on as a sub and made an impact if things went awry’, but the guy who was included was injured and would not help the team.”
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12:00 - 21.07.2023
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Ambani also revealed that the national team coach should be allowed to have a technical team of his own choosing, and not a bench handpicked for him by the federation.
“It is something that has been happening in the national team for years. This is just my opinion though. Some coaches will say that I am being negative, but I like being honest and saying it as it is," he added.
“I would like the national team coach to have his own assistants. They should not be coaches handpicked for him by the federation. These coaches should not be coaching domestic teams.
“Have you ever heard of such a situation in Europe and France where Didier Deschamps is also coaching a domestic team?
“In Kenya, you find coaches also doubling up as head coaches in Premier League clubs. Coaches must be independent. Otherwise, coaches will think about calling up players from their own clubs.
“Many times, players have been called up when they do not really deserve to be there because of this!”
Kenya will play their first competitive game in two years when they launch their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign in November. They have been placed in group F against Ivory Coast, Gambia, Gabon, Burundi and Seychelles.
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05:30 - 20.07.2023
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The former goal scoring machine insists that hosting the 2027 AFCON would require alot of resources that the country simply does not have
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