Sebastian Migne-coached Harambee Stars trained lightly on Wednesday night, next to the June 30 Stadium where they will battle against Algeria on Sunday, in their first match in the 32nd edition of the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2019.
The training mood was buoyant as various players can be seen cracking light jokes as they prepare for the Herculean task ahead of them.
Led by captain Victor Wanyama, who plies his trade for London-based Tottenham Hotspur, the team can be seen being polished on dribbling, movement, swift turning, and other ball work drills as goalkeepers drift in and out of cones in goalkeeping drills.
The head coach, Migne, was also optimistic on his side’s performance as they make final touches. The coach, who has won Kenyan’s hearts through the team's positive performances, rallied the fans to support the team at all lengths.
“I think we prepared well and these five days are enough for us to rest. We only experienced an accommodation crisis as there was no wi-fi and our boys need to be updated often, by watching sports channels,” Migne revealed.
Wanyama expressed gratitude at FIFA’s decision to allow the inclusion of water breaks into the tourney, stating that it will enable players to refresh.
This is the first time that Kenya participates in the continental tournament in 15 years.
Despite being underdogs, the national team has been touted to upset major odds and pose threats to the experienced Algeria and Senegal in their group stage battles.
After facing Algeria on June 23, Tanzania will be up next on June 27, before Kenya winds up her group stage matches against Senegal on July 1, 2019.
Kenya had a successful pre-tournament friendly, where they lifted their spirits with a 1-0 win against Madagascar and a 1-1 draw against Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in a ding-dong battle.
Here is a video of the Harambee Stars training in Egypt.
