Kenya can beat Ghana without Victor Wanyama

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When Kenya’s head coach Sebastian Migne named his final 24-man squad to face Ghana on Wednesday morning, team captain Victor Wanyama was missing, and the Harambee Stars will head into Saturday’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier without him.

The Tottenham Hotspur midfielder has just returned to full training for his club, even making the bench in their last match before the international break after recovering from a knee injury.

However, the powerhouse is yet to feature this season as the injury problems that caused him to miss four months of the last campaign continue to afflict him.

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“He is injured, as you know, and has some difficulty with his knee,” Migne told journalists. “We cannot take a risk because of his future career.

“It’s a huge problem because he is the captain and one of the best players in the team.”

When fit, Wanyama’s name is surely the first on the team sheet, and his presence will be sorely missed for the Stars.

However, even without him, Migne ought to be quietly confident that Kenya possess enough depth in midfield – and elsewhere – to trouble the four-time African champions, who have a few problems of their own.

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Zambia-based Anthony Akumu and Johanna Omolo, who plays for Belgian top-flight side Cercle Brugge, will be the players Migne will likely turn to to fill the void left by the captain.

Capped 18 times, Omolo can effectively fill Wanyama’s shoes.

The 28-year old was ever-present during his former club’s Royal Antwerp and Brugge’s promotion to the Belgian top flight, and offers tenacity and mobility.

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