Harambee Stars captain Michael Olunga was spotted having a feverish chat with a section of Rising Stars players at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on the eve of the teams’ travel to Malawi for the Four Nations tournament.Olunga was, pictured having a chat with goalkeeper Issa Emuria and other players who were visibly star-struck perhaps after sighting the man, tasked with the responsibility of not only scoring goals for the senior team but skippering it as well.Mozzart Sport caught up with the Qatar-based Olunga in Malawi who revealed the words of encouragement he shared with the youngsters whom they shared the flight with to Lilongwe.##NAJAVA_MECA_7975238##Words from Olunga and the preparation were all the boys needed to beat Zimbabwe 3-1 in the opening game played at the Bingu National Stadium on Friday afternoon.“I was trying to motivate them. I reminded them it was possible for them to scale to the senior team. We shared the same flight and will be using the same facilities in Malawi. The young ones got a chance to be close to some of the seniors whom they consider idols which is a certain source of motivation for them,” said Olunga.Rising Stars humble Zimbabwe to move closer to tournament titleThe goal poacher said it was refreshing to see the majority of the youngsters who scooped silver in the CECAFA tournament held in Kisumu in December last year rise from the U18 to the U20 team.Coach Salim Babu alongside Anthony Akhulia elevated nearly all the starters in the U18 team to the junior one, an evolution which leaves Olunga a happy man.“The team forms part of the preparation for the future. It is good to see most of the players get to the next step in their careers,” said the former Gor Mahia player.Coaches confident in Kenyan U19 players landing deals in SpainWith the Rising Stars off to a positive start in Malawi, Olunga urged the team to keep on working hard and prepare for the major assignments ahead of them.His sentiments came barely hours after the Cabinet Secretary for Sports Ababu Namwamba committed to having junior teams enroll for any World Cup qualifiers as part of supporting the youth.“I urge the boys to work hard, the future is bright. There are good tournaments ahead including the AFCON 2027. Featuring in tournaments like the one we ae having in Malawi increases their chances of being spotted by bigger clubs,” added Olunga.
