Goal difference could determine third spot in Kenya’s qualifying pool

By Robin Toskin

Contrary to everyone’s fears, Harambee Stars tactics against Nigeria are simple. Simply do not play football. Repeat. They should not play football! What they need to do is lose 1-0. Only.

Coach Antoine Hey’s goal should be to keep the score line respectable as goal difference may eventually determine the third team to go to Angola for the African Nations Cup next year. Mozambique have not conceded a goal yet Stars already have a negative one goal difference.

To achieve that result, Harambee Stars bench should by now have stolen a page or two from Guus Hiddink’s manual used against Barcelona in the first leg of the Uefa Champions League semi-final at Nou Camp. Just don’t wander too far out of the pen. The mongoose, sorry the Eagles are out there.

Anyway, this is a game of football in which nothing is conclusive until the last whistle.

Tactics go hand in hand with organisation. What Harambee Stars need to do is be organised in defence.

This would entail closing all the spaces quickly to slow down the quick feet of Kalu Uche, his brother Ukechukwu, Obinnar Nsofor, John Utaka or Osaze Odemwingie.

Who is the supply genius of the Super Eagles?

There are several of them. Nwankwo Kanu is a very good passer of the ball. Obi Mikel keeps it simple and wins balls in midfield. Seyi Olofinjana is also strong in midfield and although he may not be a great passer, his timely interventions can win balls and with an accurate pass forward, Nigeria can cause Stars problems.

Obinna Nsofor holds on to the ball and can move upfront with ease.

The sensible thing to do is shut down attempts to pass the ball to these Eagles.

Harambee Stars should strive to tackle the fleet footed Nigerians far out of the box. George Owino can sometimes be clumsy under pressure. Did you watch him against Namibia? Watch his DVD again. Musa Otieno wins the balls cleanly but he is too cautious sometimes to the detriment of Stars.

Watch him in those identical 2-1 losses to Eritrea and Tunisia. On both occasions he ought to hack down Yednekachew Shimanugus and Isaam Jomaa but was too scared to pick a card.

There is an English influence in the Nigeria team. A long accurate pass from Joseph Yobo (Everton), Olofinjana (Stoke) Dickson Etuhu (Fulham) could prove dangerous. How Stars deal with it would determine the margin of the result.

The forwards should not wait upfront for service because nothing may reach them after all.

Meanwhile, Ghana will be without key midfielder Sulley Muntari for their 2010 World and Nations Cup qualifier against Mali. He scored and set up a goal in Sunday’s final game of the season for Italian champions Inter Milan. But the Ghana Football Association says the player is out of the Mali game because of injury.

"Muntari will be not travelling with us because of an injury and he has sent us a medical report to back that up", GFA vice-president Fred Pappoe said.

The player’s withdrawal is a further blow for Ghana coach Milovan Rajevac who is already without Laryea Kingston, Derek Boateng, Stephen Appiah and Asamoah Gyan.

Ghana top group D with three points ahead of the meeting against Mali.

Muntari’s withdrawal follows heavy criticism of the player after he had a confrontation with Ghana Sports Minister Mubarak Mutakar over winning bonuses ahead of the last qualifier against Benin.

It is not known if he will be available for the trip to Sudan in two weeks time.

Elsewhere, football’s world governing body Fifa has removed the age limit for players who want to switch national allegiance.

Previously players who had represented one country at youth level had to make the choice to change by the age of 21. But Fifa’s congress in the Bahamas has approved a motion from Algeria to abandon that restriction.

—Additional reporting from Agencies