NAIROBI, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Head coach Sebastian Migne believes his team must win the mental battle against Tanzania in the return leg in Nairobi in the African Nations Championship (CHAN) on August 4.
The winner on aggregate will meet Sudan in the final qualifiers to determine who claims the ticket to CHAN in Cameroon in 2020.
"Both teams are happy with the scoreline, but it remains open to any team to win in the return leg. I want my players to remain focused and be humble. There should be no complacency in the squad. We can keep on doing well in the project. I hope we can do that and qualify for the next round," said Migne on Monday in Nairobi.
CHAN competition is only open to players plying their trade in local leagues and it was the first for Migne since his appointment last March replacing Stanley Okumbi.
Harambee Stars drew with Taifa Stars 0-0 on Sunday, which Migne described as a fair result considering the changes he had to make to the team within a short period of time.
Migne rued the last-minute loss of his star players who signed for Tanzanian club Simba FC, which ruled them out of the championship.
"We had a very short time since we returned home from the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Egypt. Some of the players were meeting for the first time and it was hard to play as a unit in the first half. But we had a better game in the second and hopefully, we will improve in Nairobi," added Migne.
"I hope I will get more cohesion by the time before we play the second leg here in Nairobi."
The coach has made a rallying call to the players to use the opportunity to prove their fitness and competency ahead of the World Cup qualifiers, which start in September.
"The future of the Harambee Stars is with youth players. Some of them can be promoted to the senior Harambee Stars. I may integrate some in the senior team during the September FIFA window because it is important to open doors to the national team. Some will play while others will exit," said the coach.
Kenya beat Tanzania 3-2 at the AFCON and the two East African neighbors have a simmering rivalry for regional football.
