Striker Jesse Were is the only Zesco United player snubbed by Kenya for 2019 AFCON while other imports from Nkana and Zanaco prepare to head for pre-tournament camps for their respective national team.
After getting a last minute call-up in March for Kenya’s formality date against Ghana when he replaced the then injured Michael Olunga, Were is not so lucky this time after Harambee Stars coach Sebastian Migne drew his line.
Were has been in prolific form for Zesco since he arrived in 2016 from Kenyan side Tusker but has yet to score for Kenya.
“He has had 26 call ups before and has never scored a single goal. He is doing good in the Zambian league but in the national team, he is yet to impress. The door is still open for him to return to the team so are the other players who were left behind,” Migne said.
But Were’s clubs mates defender David Owino and midfielder Anthony Akumu are in the provisional team.
Also in the Kenya provisional team is Nkana defender Musa Mohammed.
Kenya return to the AFCON for the first time since 2004 in Tunisia where they made a group stage exit after finishing third on 3 points in Group B behind Senegal (5 points) and Mali (7 points).
Zanaco too have one 2019 AFCON call-up in midfielder Tafadzwa Rusike who has been in great form for The Bankers with eight goals and is part of Zimbabwe’s provisional side the tournament Egypt is hosting from June 21 to July 19.
Its un fortunate for the Kenyan Coach to leave Were out of the Kenyan National football team. I have nothing against this coach but surely does he tell me that Were cant even be considered to be on the substitutes beach in case of an injure to any of his best strikers? If players like Were can be left out in the team then one might as well argue that Kenya has very good players and their league perhaps one of the best. One can even conclude that Kenya may be one of the favorites to lift the Afcon 2019. But watching Kenyan football I can as well conclude may be the coach has something personal with Were. This is the problem with African coaches players sometimes are not selected on merit and I don’t even know if he is an expatriate coach or not. When going for war even enemies reconcile…