Okumbi: We made it difficult for ourselves

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The Kenya U20 coach Stanley Okumbi believes the team was engineered its own downfall in the 0 – 3 loss to Egypt on Saturday 11 August in the second leg, second round African Youth Championship qualifier at the Nyayo National Stadium.

Early concession

Goals from Ahmed El Sayed, Eric Omondi (own goal) and a third from Saleh Gomaa, dumped Kenya out and Okumbi, speaking after the game, rued the early concession when the team was on top, the own goal and another from a set piece.

He however, admitted that the defeat had taught the youngsters a lesson and intimated that with good preparation in future and support from Football Kenya Federation (FKF), the team can do well.

-We made it difficult for ourselves in conceding a cheap goal, he said.

Take lessons

-In the second half the own goal did not help either, and the third from a set piece was even worse but it is all a learning process; we will take lessons from this match.

-If we had prepared well we could have won because we have the talent and what is needed is support from the government and the federation.

Missed chances

Okumbi also scoffed at any claims of overconfidence from his boys following the draw they managed in Cairo in the first leg, saying his team missed its chances while the Egyptians took theirs.

-The boys were not overconfident, they knew what they were required to do and the seriousness attached to the game. The difference in the game was that while we blew our chances, they made theirs count, he added.