Kenya tumbles out of 2010 World Cup/African Cup race

By Richard Juma

NAIROBI, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- The 1-0 defeat by Mozambique in a 2010 World Cup/African Cup of Nations Group 2 qualifier on Sunday has virtually locked Kenya out of international football next year.

For Kenya, thirsting for a sixth African Cup of Nations appearance and first appearance at the World Cup, the door was firmly shut by the Mozambicans in Maputo.

Determined to emulate the world conquering athletes, who did the country proud at last month's 12 IAAF World Athletics Championships in Berlin, Germany, the Kenyan football squad proved no match to the Mozambicans who dictated the pace.

After appearing in the Cup of Nations finals five times in the past, Kenya has virtually kissed both the World Cup and Nations Cup goodbye.

The remaining return matches against Tunisia and Nigeria, slated for Oct. 10 and Nov. 14 respectively will be mere formalities.

At the end of Sunday's return match in Maputo, Kenya hitherto occupying the third spot in the Group 2 standings with three points, slipped to the bottom, trading places with Mozambique who climbed to third with four points.

Kenya's dream of beating Mozambique and booking tickets to the 2010 Nations Cup finals in Angola went up in smoke.

On Oct. 10, the East Africans will be in Tunisia for their return match against the North Africans, a team they have never beaten before.

And it鈥檚 worth noting that Tunisia piped Kenya 2-1 in the first leg match here in March. A month later, the Kenyans, also known as Harambee Stars, face Nigeria's Super Eagles in a return match here.

Like Tunisia, Kenya has never beaten Nigeria; at best Kenya drew with Nigeria in an international tie here a few years back.

In the first leg match in Abuja in June, Super eagles walloped Kenya 3-1. Ahead of last night's Group 2 qualifier return match between Nigeria and Tunisia in Nigeria, the latter were leading the group standings with seven points, followed by Nigeria with five.

It goes without saying Nigeria and Tunisia are the top contenders in the group for the World Cup slot, while Mozambique's pipping of Kenya saw them put a foot in the Nations Cup finals.

Soccer analysts Sunday here blamed the poor show on lack of a comprehensive soccer development program, feeder program, inconsistency and frequent change of coaches.

"When coach Antoine Hey took charge of the team at the end of March he found a winning team moulded by his predecessor, Francis Kimanzi, instead of retaining the winning squad and formation, he made changes and the results are there for all of us to see," said soccer analyst James Onyango.

Dumped out of the race for the 2010 topflight international soccer, Kenya can only hope to feature in the next Cup of Nations finals qualifiers in 2011.

And that will be and extremely long wait for soccer loving Kenyans, thanks to bagging three points in four matches.