Kenya - DR Congo Preview: Will Harambee Stars maintain good run?

The last time the two sides met, Michael Olunga’s goal was enough to extend coach Stanley Okumbi’s unbeaten run to eight games.

With Kenya enjoying a nine match unbeaten run, the Leopards have lost two of their last five matches, the latest one being a 2-1 defeat in the hands of Ghana’s Black Stars.

Past four matches have ended in slim 1-0 victories for either side. Congo has won twice, with Kenya winning once. Of the past seven encounters, Harambee Stars have won twice, drawing once and losing four times. It will be a good match for coach Stanley Okumbi, who is keen to gauge his team against one of the teams that shone in the just concluded Afcon finals.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Kenya: David ‘Cheche’ Ochieng is making a competitive return for the national team and he is expected to partner David ‘Calabar’ Owino at the heart of Harambee Stars defense. With Brian Mandela doing extremely well in that department, ‘Cheche’ has everything to play for.

One man, who will definitely get his debut on Sunday, is 2016 Kenyan Premier League Most Valuable Player Kenneth Muguna. With Kenya currently facing a ‘crisis’ in wide offensive areas, Muguna might be tasked to start in that position, and he has to prove a point to the technical bench.

DRC Congo: TP Mazembe’s Bope Bokadi is definitely going to be tasked with the role of stopping Victor Wanyama and co. at the heart of Kenya’s midfield. But he will be needed to rally his colleagues to ensure they work as a team. Bolingi Jonathan is one striker, who can single handedly give his team victory and Kenyans should be wary of him. He should not be let lose at all.

PROBABLE LINE-UP: Kenya: Boniface Oluoch, Joackins Atudo, Aboud Omar, David ‘Calabar’ Owino, David ‘Cheche’ Ochieng’, Victor Wanyama, Johanna Omollo, Bernard Mang’oli, Kenneth Muguna, Samuel Onyango and Michael Olunga.