Having watched UlinzI Stars fail to produce a player to the national team, ambitious central midfielder Issa Lumumba has pledged to step up in league matches with the hope that his displays will catch the eye of coach Engin Firat.The four-time champion is among the nine top-flight clubs that did not have a player in the list of provisional squad released last week by Firat.##NAJAVA_MECA_7118247##However, Lumumba is promising to save the club’s face in the next international break which is set to be in mid-June.The budding midfielder understands that hard work, discipline, and expressing his talent fearlessly will be enough to convince the Turkish tactician to hand him his, maiden call-up to the team.Despite his age and little experience in the top flight, Lumumba reckons that putting in solid performances week in-week out will compel Firat to look his way.“I am hoping to make the cut in the next international assignment. I hope I will lead several Ulinzi Stars players in featuring for the national team. All I need is to work harder,” he said.Boost for Homeboyz as Buleti resumes training after two months layoffLumumba who is in his first top-flight season since finishing his secondary school education joined the soldiers in the mid-season transfer window from Kariobangi Sharks.He says the move has helped him settle and enjoy his game uninterrupted.“I am liking life at Ulinzi. I am getting the chance to play on a regular basis, unlike in the first leg,” he noted.FKF had approached me years back – Anyembe revealsWith Stars, trailing log leaders Gor Mahia by ten points, Lumumba says, the team has the mettle to plug in the gap and successfully hunt down the fifth league gong.“We haven’t lost hope at all. There are more than ten matches remaining and therefore, it is too early to write us off. We only need to be consistent going forward,” he added.