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Ivory Coast coach Emerse Fae is wary of Harambee Stars captain Michael Olunga ahead of the two side’s World Cup qualifier in Malawi on Tuesday afternoon.
Ivory Coast coach Emerse Fae has identified Harambee Stars captain Michael Olunga as the Kenyan player his team must be worried of the most when the two sides clash on Tuesday afternoon.
Kenya take on the African champions with their backs against the wall following a 1-1 draw with Burundi last week and must put up a good show or risk seeing their 2026 World Cup qualification hopes go up in smoke.
The Ivorians have won all their three games, scoring 12 goals and conceding none, from a 9-0 thrashing of Seychelles, 2-0 victory over the Gambia, before a 1-0 win past Gabon, but Fae feels Kenya will pose a different kind of threat with Olunga as their dangerman.
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06:32 - 11.06.2024
Kenya vs Ivory Coast: 5 players from the Elephants camp likely to cause Harambee Stars problems
Harambee Stars will take on the Ivory Coast in a crucial World Cup qualifier on Tuesday but the Elephants have five key players whom Engin Firat’s men must stop to have any chance.
“Olunga is a very good player he is not very famous in the world of football but then again, we have to keep an eye on him because he is a very lethal striker, he is a player who is capable to score any time and from any position. But we have to be focused not only against Olunga but also on the Kenyan team,” said Fae on Monday.
The African champions are overwhelming favourites in the match which would see them move to 12 points at the halfway mark in the qualification journey but Fae is not buying into the hype.
“Today in Africa there are no small teams. All teams are now playing well. Kenya wants to show that they can beat the African champions. We have two goals, to go to the World Cup and qualify for the next AFCON in Morocco because Ivory Coast missed the last two World Cups. We want to keep the cup [AFCON] in Morocco,” added the former Ivory Coast international.
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07:00 - 11.06.2024
Why Musa Otieno is confident Harambee Stars can get a good result against Ivory Coast
Kenya were held to an underwhelming 1-1 draw by Burundi on Friday, but former captain Musa Otieno is adamant they can turn their fortunes around against the African champions.
While the Ivorians have had a perfect run, Kenya have struggled for consistency, starting with a 2-1 loss away to Gabon before thrashing Seychelles 5-0 in November and followed it up with the 1-1 draw against Burundi.
It leaves Harambee Stars third in Group F with four points from three matches, same as Burundi, with the Ivorians top on the maximum nine points, Gabon second on two, while the Gambia have three after beating Seychelles 5-1 last weekend.
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