NAIROBI, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Two months after flying to Qatar to negotiate his return to Al Arabia FC, France-based Kenyan striker Dennis Oliech is still playing for French Lique 1 side Auxerre.
Latest reports from Paris indicated on Tuesday that Oliech was not among the six released by FC Auxerre, ahead of the start of the season last weekend.
This means Oliech who was yearning for a return to Qatar after a three-and-half year's stint is still in France.X It's an open secret that Oliech, the first Kenyan to play in the French top league, was not very comfortable at Auxerre as he had to compete for a place in the team's starting line up.
He is the Kenyan striker who turned a 200,000 U.S. dollars offer from Qatari authorities to switch nationality to the oil-rich Gulf state a few years ago.
Oliech's family angered by the offer, stepped in, saying their son was proudly Kenyan and had no reason to change his nationality to Qatar. The family rejected the offer.
He is among the around 10 Kenyan professionals currently plying their trade in Europe.
Among the Europe-based professionals is MacDonald Mariga who turns out for Italy's Parma. The bulk of the Kenyan bigwigs are based in the Scandinavia with the majority turning out for Swedish clubs.
The professionals are expected to make the Kenyan national team that takes on Mozambique in a 2010 African Cup of Nations/World Cup Group 2 qualifier match in Maputo.
Kenya beat Mozambique 2-1 in the first leg in Nairobi and look forward to winning the return tie on September 5.
Meanwhile, the Kenyan national soccer team was scheduled to jet out Nairobi Tuesday to Malaysia for a friendly match against the hosts.
Both countries will use the friendly to shape up for the ongoing 2010 World Cup qualifiers.
The team picked by coach Antoine Hey comprises home-based players and it appears Hey will use the invitation to test the readiness of the players to make the national, which is in most cases dominated by foreign-based professionals.
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