Kibet, two others to miss Rising Stars’ trip to Malawi

Wednesday, March 20th, 2024 00:22 | By

Kenya Under 20 National Team head coach Salim Babu (R) with his assistant Antony Akhulia after a training session at Kasarani Stadium. PHOTO/Rodgers Ndegwa

Kenya U20 national team Rising Stars will miss three key players - Spain-based duo Aldrine Kibet and Amos Wanjala as well as forward Louis Ingavi, who is based in the United States, who have been ruled out of the tournament in Lilongwe, Malawi.

The three had already been named in the provisional squad for the tournament by head coach Salim Babu but they have been left out of the traveling squad after failing to make it to the camp.

Kibet and defender Wanjala both train at Spain’s Nastic Sports Academy while striker Ingavi is attached to Florida-based Montvarde Academy.

Explaining their absence, coach Babu said: “Unfortunately they are out of the squad and we must focus without them, we need to work with what we have in camp, we have players who deserve a chance to play and they now have the opportunity.

“We all know what the three players can offer the team (in terms of how they play), we saw them how they played last December during the U20 CECAFA tournament in Kisumu, but they will not make it for this tournament.”

Babu said the trio’s absence will be an added advantage to the other crop of players, who want to claim a stake in the team. “There is another group coming through and if they can be exposed, then it will be easy to move as a team. Kenya has many young players and I think in 2027, everything will be okay,” added Babu.

Stanley Wilson, who has been on trials at AIK in Sweden, and James Gachago of St Andrew’s United in Scotland are among the foreign-based players in Babu’s squad, and the Kenya Police custodian is confident of a good outing in Malawi.