Gor Mahia coach Steven Polack has maintained the team will not be affected by the absence of four key players who have been included in the Harambee Stars squad for the Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup tournament set for Uganda.
The regional tournament is set to kick-off on December 7 and runs until the 19th, and the Kenyan champions will have to do without four players – skipper Kenneth Muguna, Joash Onyango, Lawrence Juma and Clifton Miheso – who will represent Kenya in the tournament.
However, despite the four players being part of the main team, coach Polack has told Goal he has enough quality players who will step in during their absence and give K’Ogalo the results they need to retain the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) title.
“I don’t think we will be affected in any way, they are among our best players but we are ready to continue with our positive run in the league without them,” Polack told Goal on Monday.
“In fact, none of the players featured against Ulinzi Stars and we played very well, so it is the same thing, I have players in the reserve who will be asked to step up and I know they will do a wonderful job.
“I am not worried at all, I don’t think it should worry the fans too, they must stay focused and keep supporting us. We have a good squad to get worried when we miss three or five regular players.”
The four players have already linked up with the Harambee Stars squad for residential training and will thus be missing the team’s next league match against Kisumu All-Stars on Saturday.
Kenya has been pooled in Group C of the regional tournament alongside Tanzania, Djibouti and Zanzibar, and will be looking to defend the title they won in December 2017, in Machakos.
Group A is comprised of hosts Uganda, Burundi, Ethiopia, and Eritrea, while Group B will pit the guest team the Democratic Republic of the Congo against Sudan, South Sudan, and Somalia.
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