Harambee Stars players.FKF.

Afcon 2021 Qualifying: Harambee Stars can handle Group G if kept together - Tom Juma

Keeping the Harambee Stars team and the coach is key if Kenya are to qualify for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, former Kenyan international Tom Juma believes.

Kenya were drawn in Group G for the 2021 Afcon qualifiers, alongside eight-time winners Egypt, Togo, and the Comoro Islands, and Juma feels maintaining the faith in the current squad will go a long way in securing another Afcon berth.

"The key thing is to keep the team that played in Egypt so as to build on the experience they got at the tournament," Juma told Goal.

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"Continuity is very important in the progress of the team and should we keep the coach and maybe 70% or 80% of the current squad then I believe we can qualify yet again for Afcon. No worries at all about that.

"Of course there would be additions and subtractions in the playing unit for sure."

Juma also pointed out the importance of back-to-back Afcon qualifications but admitted there are no easy teams in the draw.

"Kenya also have to try and keep qualifying for this tournament because an eight or 10-year absence is detrimental as that works against progress," he explained.

"In modern football, there is no underdog, who knew that South Africa, who qualified into the knockout stage as a third-best loser could beat Egypt at their own turf in such a big tournament.

"But I would urge Harambee to go for a win at home and while in Cairo fight for even a point because I know how tough it can be playing in their stadiums.

"Another important thing that has to be done is having good preparations like the one we had before Afcon. That encourages the players and gives them the needed morale before such big games."

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