Africa-Press – Kenya. Kakamega Homeboyz have their sights firmly trained on flying the country’s flag at next season’s Caf Confederation Cup, head coach Patrick Odhiambo has said. Homeboyz battle Kariobangi Sharks in a tricky FKF Cup quarterfinal encounter at Moi Stadium, Kasarani on Sunday.
Odhiambo reckons they have polished their act adequately to shake off their opponents and cruise to the next stage of the country’s second-biggest football bonanza.
“Kariobangi Sharks are a team we have played against for a long time. We know how they play and so we are just preparing normally, just the way we usually do in our other fixtures,” Odhiambo said.
Odhiambo called on his charges to keep their shoulders to the wheel on Sunday, reiterating their desire to grace the continental stage for the first time in history.
“It’s a tournament that if you win, you get a chance to represent the country. That makes it so competitive. That’s why people are so much into it. We only have two more stages left,” added Odhiambo.
He believes their latest performance on the top-flight stage has set the mood right. After kicking off their KPL campaign on a torrid note, Homeboyz have successfully managed to put their act together for an impressive run.
They head into the encounter on the back of a 2-0 win over neighbours Vihiga Bullets in the Ingo derby a week ago and a barren draw against Nairobi City Stars in Nairobi on Wednesday.
The closest Homeboyz have ever come to represent the country on the international stage was during the 2018/2019 season, when they finished second behind Gor Mahia in the Kenyan Premier League.
They also finished second to Tusker last season, only for the competition to be nullified. Meanwhile, Kariobangi Sharks head coach William Muluya said he is not having sleepless nights ahead of Sunday’s fixture, which comes on the back of a lacklustre performance in the league.
Muluya’s charges managed to wring out a hard-fought 1-0 win over arch-rivals Mathare United in the ‘Slum Derby’ at Kasarani Annex on Tuesday after crashing three times in a row.
“It would be misleading for anyone to predict the outcome of the match based on the teams’ run in the Kenyan Premier League. These are two different platforms,” Muluya said.
“We wouldn’t have come this far if we weren’t that good. We are in the quarters because we have assembled a team that can successfully lift the Cup and represent the country in the Caf Confederations Cup.”
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