Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) central defender Haniff Wesonga insists that his exclusion from the Emerging Stars will not affect his morale ahead of the Mozzart Bet Cup final.Wesonga withdrew from the COSAFA team after KCB requested the U23 technical bench exempt him from the trip to South Africa in the interest of the domestic cup final.The bankers are set to clash against Kenya Police, presenting a perfect opportunity to bag their maiden top-flight silverware.##NAJAVA_MECA_8186792##Wesonga, who moved to KCB in September 2022 from FKF Division Two Western Zone outfit Samitsi, will be taking part in his first major final.He felt demoralized after missing out on the Star squad and is determined to avoid a double heartbreak in a week by pushing alongside his teammates to clinch the cup.”I felt demoralized after pulling out of the U23 team, but out of respect for my club, KCB, I went directly to work. The national team setback is enough motivation ahead of the finals; I cannot lose twice in a week,” he told Mozzart Sport.Despite the absence of two key players, the 20-year-old defender is confident that the club will manage to shut down Police.NSL: Last chance for Kajiado, Mombasa Elite in relegation battleKCB will miss their assistant captain Brian Ochieng and forward Derrick Otanga, who are suspended after picking up yellow cards in the quarterfinal and semifinal clashes.Wesonga acknowledges the absence of Otanga and Ochieng as a massive blow, but he remains confident that the team will outclass their opposition.”It is a massive blow to the team, but we are not even thinking about that now. The good part is that we knew earlier that Ochieng and Otanga wouldn’t be available. Therefore, the backups were prepared mentally early enough and will be ready to fight for the badge. No advantage to Police,” he added.With the winner of the prestigious cup getting a chance to represent Kenya in the CAF Confederation, Wesonga says it is a further personal motivation since it will enable him to showcase his talent to the continent, giving him a perfect chance to realize his dream of turning pro.”Playing continental football is a dream of every player. Personally, it is an advantage since I will get a chance to show what I have, and I have faith that once I step outside Kenya, there is no coming back. I will give my maximum to become a pro,” he concluded.The Mozzart Bet Cup final will be staged at Ulinzi Sports Complex and will be preceded by a third-place playoff match between AFC Leopards and Kariobangi Sharks.Former KCB defender Harun Mwale in hunt for new club after six months in cold
