Kenya national team head coach Francis Kimanzi says it’s a tough task to select best players to the national team for international assignments.
Kimanzi, who is eyeing qualification to the next Africa Cup of Nations, has already started the selection process for the upcoming matches despite the challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic.
Harambee Stars will be facing Comoros in a two-legged Nations Cup qualifier on new dates set to be announced by Confederation of African Football (CAF).
“It is a difficult situation now but we have been engaging with the players at a personal level. We have also been doing a lot of planning and following up on our scouting database,” Kimanzi told Football Kenya Federation (FKF) portal on Monday.
“Player selection is never easy, but what counts is the current form.”
The experienced gaffer also noted that foreign-based players don’t necessarily have an edge over their local-based counterparts when the technical bench sits down to select players.
“Take for instance, when Lawrence Juma (Gor Mahia midfielder) was in top form, we picked him into the starting team ahead of other foreign players. Playing abroad is secondary to the player’s current form when it comes to selection,” Kimanzi said.
Kenya will be expected to play in some build-up matches before their game with Comoros, as FKF has in the past endeavoured to have kept the national team active in all international windows in the past four years.
“It is important for the team to remain active since these players are from diverse backgrounds. Building a team takes time and it is for this reason that we need to utilize every opportunity to squeeze in a match,” Kimanzi noted.
“Our logistics team has also done a good job: booking flights, hotels, and training sessions on time. We always need to have the players in proper mental shape if we are to produce results.”
CAF postponed March’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifying games indefinitely because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The continent’s football governing body made the decision in order to protect the health and safety of stakeholders including players, sponsors, match officials and broadcasters.
The games were initially fixed to take place between March 25 and March 31 across various countries in the continent.
Harambee Stars had held Egypt to a 1-1 draw in the first leg, before playing out a 1-1 draw against Togo at home.
