Photo Credit - Dennis Kegengo.
Gabon coach Thiery Mouyoma believes Kenya national team Harambee Stars will be motivated from their 3-3 comeback draw against Gambia when they take on the Panthers in their matchday six fixture of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers at Nyayo Stadium on Sunday.
The Panthers arrived in Kenya on Friday night and trained on Saturday at Nyayo Stadium ahead of the fixture. While Gabon won their matchday five fixture 3-0 against Seychelles at Stade de Franceville, Kenya had to come back twice to draw 3-3 against the Scorpions of Gambia at Alassane Ouattara Ebimpé Olympic Stadium in Ivory Coast.
“Firstly the difference is the way playing is been, football has been playing now. 25 to 28 years ago when I played against Kenya it was different and I think what I saw so far, Kenya haven’t changed the way of playing because football in Africa and even in the whole is played by region,” Mouyoma told Pan-Africa Football.
“The East Africa of Africa plays more of the same way while in Central Africa we play different way, in West Africa or North is also different in the way they play. So for tomorrow match, we accept a team of Kenya, who obviously want to win, they are playing at home, they are coming from a 3-3 draw against Gambia which has given them a a bit of confidence.
“So at the end of the day we need to win as well the game, so it’s going to be a good game with a different opposition.”
On whether lead striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who turns out for Saudi Pro League club Al-Qadsiah will play against Kenya having missed their last qualifier, he said: “Yes, Aubameyang will play, he didn’t play the last game against Seychelles because of yellow card, and he couldn’t play because of that reason, but the guy is fit, so he is going to play.
“For us it is very important to win against Kenya, unless instead of winning, at least a draw which is important for us because as you can see Kenya is breathing behind our back in the group and we don’t want them to come so close. So it is important for us to win but don’t lose tomorrow (Sunday).”
With tickets for the match already sold out, Mouyoma was asked whether his players were ready to handle the crowd, he explained: “It is always good to play with fans, it motivates the players to work hard, and also the qualification for the World Cup is another motivation, so we don’t need to come here and tell them, these are a lot of Kenyans singing, but when we here our national anthem and see the flag it will motivate my players, so we are ready for the fight.
“We all hope that it is going to be a good game, security for all of us because we saw many things of that in Africa. People packing in the stadium and then getting security problems, so we don’t want to see that kind of stuff in Africa and especially the game against Kenya, it is important it is going to be a nice game with Gabon winning.”
Gabon will go into the fixture sitting second in Group F with 12 points from five matches, one less than table leaders Ivory Coast, while Kenya is lying fourth with six points.
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