Harambee Stars defender Mike Kibwage says they are focused on finishing on top of Group A in the ongoing African Nations Championship (Chan).
Although already qualified for the quarter-finals, Kenya is poised to take on Zambia in their last match of the pool, which is also very crucial to the country, at Kasarani Stadium today.
Should Kenya finish on top of the group, their quarter-finals encounter pitting them against Mauritania or Madagascar will be staged at Kasarani.
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Should the country finish second, Harambee Stars will be forced to battle perennial rivals and neighbours Tanzania away in Dar es Salaam in the last eight category.
“We have had a good training in the course of the week. We have already done our homework well, we have rectified loopholes in the midfield,” Kibwage said.
“We are looking forward to our final group game with Zambia, but it won’t be easy. The Zambians have nothing to lose, and them playing as ‘underdogs’ will be an uphill task to match.
“Zambia won’t be under any pressure in the game, even though they will be out at least to look for a point. But again, we won’t downplay their fighting spirit.”
Kibwage said they will take the clash seriously because of the high stakes involved after President William Ruto promised each member of the squad Sh2.5 million for a victory and a two-bedroom house should they sail into the quarters, which they have already done.
The 28-year-old newly signed Gor Mahia centre-half said they have been performing extremely well in the ongoing showpiece because of focusing on one game at a time.
“Winning against DR Congo and Morocco boosted our morale in the camp, even the other draw against Angola. And all the credit goes to the fans who gave us the needed push in the outings. We want to thank the fans, their energy brought positivity to the squad. They have helped the players and technical bench to have one aim in the competition – to focus their sights on the trophy,” Kibwage underlined.
About his analysis of Group D, which was initially considered the pool of death, Kibwage says Kenya broke the jinx by beating double champions Morocco and Dr Congo in the tournament.
Kibwage has so far played all the Harambee Stars matches in the tournament, coming in as a substitute against DR Congo and Angola before captaining Kenya against Morocco.
“I feel good to feature in this showpiece. I’m grateful for the playing time. It’s a great motivation for me because I have been mentally ready for the matches,” Kibwage said.