Exclusive: Taiwo Atieno Tells Kenya How to Beat Cameroon in AFCON Qualifier
Former Kenya international Taiwo Atieno advises Harambee Stars on being clinical in front of goal to beat Cameroon in the AFCON qualifiers. He also discusses Kenya’s football talent development challenges.
Image Credits: Julian Finney/Getty Images
Former Kenya international Taiwo Atieno believes Harambee Stars will stand a good chance to get a positive result from their double-headed 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying fixture against Cameroon but only if “they are clinical in front of the goal.”
The East African nation will continue with their quest to qualify for a seventh appearance at the 35th edition of the biennial African football tournament to be held in Morocco when they take on the Indomitable Lions in a Group J match.
Kenya will first travel to face Cameroon in the first meeting on October 7 in Yaounde before the return match at Uganda’s Stade Nelson Mandela Stadium on October 15.
As it stands, Kenya is leading Group J with four points, the same number as Cameroon, who are second.
Kenya kicked off their qualification campaign with a 0-0 draw against Zimbabwe at Mandela Stadium on September 6 before recovering to beat Namibia 2-1 in their matchday two fixture at Orlando Stadium in South Africa on September 10.
Kenya Must be Ambitious and Clinical In front of Goal
Atieno, who is of English and Kenyan heritage but represented Kenya in the qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup 2010 and the African cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers, admits though Harambee Stars will face a tough challenge coming up against the African powerhouse, ambitious display especially in the final third, would swing the game in their favour.
“It will be a tough challenge against Cameroon. Defensively, we need to be well-organised, but we have to be ambitious and attack when opportunities arise. Scoring goals will be key, but the team must remain balanced,” Atieno, who made his debut for Kenya as a late substitute in the June 2009 qualifier against Mozambique, told SportsBoom.com.
Asked on what formation of play Kenya could thrive against the Indomitable Lions, Atieno said: “I’d like to see Harambee Stars adopt either a 4-3-3 or an attacking 4-4-2 formation. We need to exploit the flanks, get the ball into the box, and create goal-scoring chances. It’s about making the most of our opportunities and being clinical in front of goal.”
Atieno, who managed five caps for Kenya, believes the East African nation, who are under the tutelage of Turkish coach Engin Firat, should have picked more than four points from their opening two matches.
“I think we’ve done reasonably well so far. It’s still early days, and we need to push for more victories. With the talent we have, we could have potentially come away with more points, but it’s about building momentum now,” explained Atieno.
After firing blanks against the Warriors, Kenya rediscovered their scoring boots with striker John Avire, who plays for Egyptian club misr el makasa and midfielder Duke Abuya, currently in the books of Young Africans (Yanga SC) of Tanzania, scoring two second half goals to help sink the Brave Warriors, whose goal came via Orlando Pirates midfielder Deon Hotto.
Kenya Must Produce Enough Top-Level Players
Atieno faulted Kenya’s football authorities for not helping to nurture talent saying since he quit international football in 2009, the country was yet to produce enough top-level players to replace the ageing ones.
He gave an example of how Harambee Stars have remained dependent on striker Michael Olunga, saying as a nation it was wrong to rely on one player. The towering Olunga, who features for Al Duhail SC in the Qatar Stars League, missed the Group J fixtures owing to an injury as Kenya struggled to score goals, especially in the game against Zimbabwe.
After the 2-1 win against Namibia, midfielder Richard Odada, who plays for Dundee United in the Scottish Premiership, admitted Kenya had missed the services of Olunga.
“Of course, yes, we missed him he plays a huge role in our game, in our first game he should have scored, and even today against Namibia, if he was here and played he could have scored two or three goals, so we hope he will be fit and available for the next game against Cameroon,” said Odada.
Asked if he conquered with comments from a section of fans that Harambee Stars was over-relying on the former Gor Mahia striker, Atieno said: “I agree that there’s a wider issue. Kenya has, over time, struggled to develop and nurture footballing talent. With a population of 55 million, and an average age of 21, we shouldn’t be reliant on one player.
When I was with Harambee Stars in 2009, we had the likes of Dennis Oliech, McDonald Mariga, and Victor Wanyama. But from 2009 to now, we haven’t produced enough top-level players. This needs to change ASAP
Taiwo Atieno
Kenya’s second fixture against Cameroon will be played in Uganda, denying the players an opportunity to play in front of their fans.
Currently, Kenya has no Confederation of African Football (CAF) nor world governing body FIFA approved stadiums to host their international matches as Kasarani and Nyayo Stadiums are undergoing renovation in readiness to co-host the African Nations Championships (CHAN) and the 2027 AFCON.
Queried whether playing home matches away from home will affect Kenya’s performance in the qualifiers, Atieno, who previously played in the Football League for Walsall, Rochdale, Chester City, Darlington, Torquay United and Barnet and in the USL First Division for the Puerto Rico Islanders and Rochester Rhinos, responded: “Absolutely. Playing at home is crucial for any team. As a player, having the support of your home fans gives you that extra drive. It’s quite difficult to comprehend why a top six economy like Kenya doesn’t have FIFA-approved stadiums. This situation is clearly affecting the team’s performance.”
The last time Kenya played on home soil was on September 12, 2023, a friendly fixture against South Sudan, which they lost 1-0 at Kasarani Stadium.
Dennis is a seasoned journalist in Kenya with over 18 years of experience. Having started his career at Kenya Times Newspaper, Dennis worked for Standard Newspaper for nearly six years as a Sports Writer. At Standard, he was privileged to cover Kenya's national team Harambee Stars outside the country, the biggest of all being the Four Nations tournament in Cairo, Egypt. He also covered the U17 team in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.