The Kenya national football team, Harambee Stars, returns to action tonight with a match against Tanzania’s Kilimanjaro Stars in their second fixture of the Mapinduzi Cup at Gombani Stadium in Pemba, Zanzibar.The game starts at 7 PM, marking Kenya’s second outing in the tournament.##NAJAVA_MECA_8609835##In their opening game on Saturday, Harambee Stars drew 1-1 with Burkina Faso in a controversial match where Burkina Faso’s late offside goal was allowed to stand.James Kinyanjui had opened the scoring for Kenya in the first half, but the late equalizer denied them the win.Kenya will now aim to overcome their tournament co-hosts, Tanzania, who also lost their opening match. The Tanzania mainland team fell 1-0 to a goal from Azam FC’s star player, Feisal Salum, who is also part of the Taifa Stars squad.The Harambee Stars team in Zanzibar is expected to form a major part of Kenya’s squad for the upcoming African Nations Championship (CHAN), set to begin on February 1, 2025.Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania will co-host the tournament for the first time, with preparations in high gear to ensure all logistics are in place.Hundreds of thousands collected in Wadau na Otuoma TournamentSpeaking ahead of today’s game, head coach Francis Kimanzi praised his players, emphasizing their motivation and commitment.“The players are highly motivated and eager to prove themselves. Being selected from a pool of 40 was no small feat—it reflects their hard work. Our role as the technical team is to support and encourage them to reach their full potential,” Kimanzi said.Kenya’s squad received a boost with the arrival of four key players who missed the first game against Burkina Faso: Rooney Onyango, Sylvester Owino, Austin Odhiambo, and Alphonce Omija, all from Gor Mahia. The players had stayed behind for a club assignment against Kitara FC in Siaya on January 2.Coach Kimanzi expressed relief at having a full squad for today’s match, noting that their absence in the previous game affected the team’s performance.“We missed four key players against Burkina Faso, and it disrupted our depth and balance. It’s hard to maintain normalcy when such crucial players are unavailable. With all 24 players now present, they bring immense value to the team,” he said.Posta Rangers set to part ways with head coachKenya squad in Zanzibar:Goalkeepers: Byrne Odhiambo, Faruk Shikalo, Sepstanious Wekesa.Defenders: Sylvester Owino, Hanif Wesonga, Alphonce Omija, Brian Okoth, Abud Omar, Siraj Mohammed, Rooney Onyango, Daniel Sakari.Midfielders: Michael Mutinda, Chrispine Erambo, Brian Musa, Kelly Madada, Austine Odhiambo, Kenneth Muguna, Ben Stanley Omondi, Mohammed Bajaber, Boniface Muchiri, Darius Msagah, James Kinyanjui.Forwards: Moses Shumah, Ryan Ogam.Two Kenyan match officials join 14 others as FIFA-accredited referees
