 Good afternoon and welcome back to the program. Touchline is the show on Y-254. My name is Max Oluwaseke Chili, but fantastic Saturday afternoon, we're discussing matters of football with focus on the ongoing African Cup of Nations. It kicked off last night in Egypt, recording a nervous win against Zimbabwe to day three matches on Card Democratic Republic of Congo. Opened their campaign against our neighbors Uganda Crens at 5.30 pm. Remember that game would be live and exclusive on our mother channel KB. So of course, Tyras Waiyaki, the football coach and football analyst as well is still with us, still bragging of how he's, you know, mentored several young players including Ayub Timberwiz in Egypt with the national team Arambestaz. Samim Rai is joining us big man. You watched the game last night. What is your assessment? No dark horses in this tournament, no favourites as well? To be very honest, I think this is going to be one of the most open African Cup of Nations that we've had. And I watched Zimbabwe yesterday and I think Egypt was very, very lucky. As the hosts, they were very lucky. And I think the Zimbabweans at some point just didn't believe in themselves. Do you want to go for that kilo goal? And I believe if they play the way they played yesterday in the subsequent games, you might see Zimbabwe go far in this tournament. And then we're also looking at some of the East African countries. For example, Uganda, people might under hate Uganda. And you know Uganda during the qualifiers beat Egypt twice. So we are looking at a team that we are very sure might just go there and surprise people. I really don't want to talk about Kenya. We will come back to Kenya. People will say I'm talking out of passion. But then definitely we have no favourites as far as this tournament is concerned. Of course we have to go with the big ones, but we might just have that dark horse that just comes in and steals it away. Upsets expected in today's matches as well after Zimbabwe, you know, forced only a nervous win for Egyptians who are the host and seven-time African champions. Democratic Republic of Congo are one of the best ranked African countries, but their qualification campaign not pretty well, but even during their friendly campaign as well, remember when they played against Kenya, they equalized during last minute. Can Uganda hold on and record something tangible out of that class? Well, they can, to be honest, because we've seen a resurgent Ugandan squad over the last three or four years. But also for DRC, it's good that they had a sloppy start well with international friendlies because what that does, it brings you back to reality. So they've seen that they're actually not invincible. If Kenya can scare them, then Uganda can also scare them and perhaps even beat them. So don't expect to see the DRC use so against us playing against Uganda. They'll put their best foot forward. But Uganda can pull out a surprise and get a draw out of this. And Mariah has just spoken of belief. If they believe in themselves Uganda, they can pick DRC. But I'm looking at it from the perspective of a draw. Uganda, DRC, that's what I'm looking at. The surprise could come a bit, just quite a bit, not too much in the form of Burundi versus Nigeria. And that's why I think Ahmed Musa will be the difference. So many times he's been the guy who saves them. He saved Nigeria here at Kasarani. He saved them at the last World Cup when he found the net for them. Against Argentina. So I think it's going to come down to Musa. Not necessarily scoring but even creating for them because he's going to be tightly mapped against the Burundians. But the Burundians are going to put in a good account for themselves. If you look at the Burundian squad, you're going to see that they're not your average team. They've got quite a bit of exposure out there in the top leagues. And so yes, there are no walkovers in this tournament. There are no minos. I told you this thing began, I think in 2002 at the World Cup when the underdogs came onto the stage and said, look, we are here on merit. Who are the underdogs then? Senegal, Taki? We analysed that and we called it the World Cup of Root Shocks in 2002. Sorry, you said? Who are the underdogs then in 2002 World Cup? Oh, South Korea were underdogs. Definitely massive underdogs. Senegal. Senegal were underdogs. They did Swedenin. I mean, those United States of America, they were underdogs too. But they got to the quarterfinals and lost to Germany narrowly. I think Germany, who were eventual finalists, beat them 1-0 and it took the world's best goalkeeper at the time, Oliver Kahn, to stop them right in their tracks. So you can see that there's been a change in football gradually. The game has spread and media has built this. And even in women's football, you're now seeing Nigeria and Cameroon have made the round of 16 in the women's World Cup that's currently ongoing. That's the first time in the history of that tournament that two teams from Africa have made the round of 16. So there's a wind of change that's blowing across. And if you listen carefully, you will see. Sorry, I'm not as good as Bob Marley. Sami, I know you have got some interjections. No, actually, I wanted to just talk about the women's World Cup and specifically not about Nigeria and Cameroon, but I also wanted to talk about South Africa because I know we are talking about Afqon, we are going to delve into Afqon. But I really wanted to talk about how our federation and I know I've had this conversation with people several. And what that conversation is, is why don't we invest in women's football? We've had very good players who played for the national team. This South African team that made it to the World Cup this year, we played them here in Kasarani. We beat them 1-0. We went to South Africa, they beat us 2-1. So in total, with the away goal rule, we beat South Africa. What has happened? First forward, 10 years. South Africa in the World Cup, where is the Kenyan national women's team? It's nowhere to be seen. So I think it speaks a lot about investment in football. And I know earlier on when you're talking to the boxers as well you brought that issue up. And it's one that really, really needs to be addressed. Right now we are seeing a national team that has received very good money for the first time in history. Yes, from the government. In the history of this country. We've never had government investing as heavily as they have in Harambe Stas. Yesterday I was talking to Edward Quach, former journalist. He still didn't seem convinced. He was just saying, you know what, that money was just thrown away. They should have invested that money in something else. Because this money is, yes, it's there. The players have been paid. They have been motivated. But at the end of the day, it's something that needed to happen sooner. Because right now it's coming as a last gasp measure where they realize, okay fine, Harambe Stas has qualified for the African Cup of Nations. So let's put in some money so that they will not come back or the Kenyans will not complain and say that the government did not invest in the team. What are we doing about our age group football? Because that's where it's supposed to start. What is happening to our under 15s? What is happening to our under 17s? What is happening to our under 21s and under 23s? Because that's where we should be investing our football at the moment. And as much as we might want to put that responsibility on FKF, the government also needs to come in. And that's why the sports bill came into play and they created the sports fund that is supposed to be supporting these structures. So we are not just talking about football, we are talking about all sport. If you go back to the 80s, early 80s, the 70s, that's where the social halls were coming in. There was very good investment from the government back then in Kenyans sport. That is why you'd go say to E10, it's a camp for athletes and you'd find several camps that are there and clubs that were there to ensure that this was rising. Boxing, same thing was happening. You go to several social halls, you knew very well where you'd go and find boxers. Go to tennis, go to badminton. As in we had that investment, that interest from the government. So the sports bill also need to come into play to just not think about now or just saving the teams now, but thinking into the future. Are we already thinking about the next World Cup 2022? That's what we should be thinking about right now. I know Minyeha said it's his goal to qualify but then just knowing Kenya and the way we operate. If he doesn't perform very well in Egypt, he might not even come back. 2022 we have a World Cup in Kenya. Kulki eleweken tanga tanga. That's the World Cup we are preparing for. But of course we have a football World Cup in Qatar but still with the fixtures of today, Brundi, again is Nigeria. Remember Nigeria, the new coach named a squad that lacked some of the so-called heavyweights. See in nacho former Manchester City and Leicester striker getting omitted from the squad but Ahmed Musa you have much confidence in him. How is this Nigeria compared to the Nigeria of Sunday Ulise, JJ Okocha, Nwanko Kanu, Victor Ikepeba, Polikedia. You remember those names of the Super Eagles. Do you think they can replicate what their predecessors did before? No, I don't think so because if they do that then I'll be very worried for African football and ask myself the question, how is that even possible? Football, even being a game of miracles, I don't see them doing that. I mean, how is this team compared to that one? There's a complete contrast. They lack class. They lack substance. They lack hunger, desire. They lack that realisation that we are Nigerians and we're proud to be Nigerians and we're going to play for that budge. That team that you've just mentioned was absolutely outstanding. I met a guy from Bolton once. He was speaking about Okocha because Okocha used to play for Bolton and Okocha played for that golden era of Nigerians and the guy turned red. He was so passionate and fond of the memories that Okocha left them behind. This team does not have that and that's why I said Burundi will give them a hard time and it will come down to Ahmed Musa to deliver the goods, either banging the net for them or creating that opportunity for them to make the difference. But if they don't live up to expectations Nigeria against Burundi, I wouldn't be surprised. This is not Nigeria of those days. You remember a few years ago they won the cup of nations and then coming back the two years later or something like that they couldn't qualify. They didn't even qualify for cup of nations. There has been a problem in Nigeria and the same problem that has been there is the same problem that's in Kenya. It's lack of focus, lack of vision and a lack of a goal on how we can attain stuff because it's just almost dead and buried. Nigeria needs a revival, the same revival that Kenya needs. Samim Raya, what do you assess of Burundi's chances? I know they are the underdogs of the tournament having qualified for the first time and of course I've spoken to Nicholas Musaunia Segirare generally, he attributes the growth of East African football to Seqafa and to the youth structural tournaments that have been put in place enabling Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Burundi to qualify. But what are their chances even as they keep bragging of Saido Berahino in them? Well, the biggest problem would actually be for the Burundians to entirely look at Saido Berahino and the reason why I'm saying that is the same thing, conversation we were having earlier which was the game yesterday between Egypt and Zimbabwe. What happened yesterday? We saw... Mosala was lost. He looks tired because of course of training all the way to the Champions League final and he had two men on him at every turn. Every time he got the ball like this he had two people on him. Same thing is going to happen to Saido Berahino because looking at today's match everyone will know that's the threat and how do you deal with the threat? Just ensure that that person, Berahino has one person on him at every turn. But then, what can work for the Burundians is they have very many local based players so these are players that know each other very well they understand how they each play and they've been together solidly for a very long period of time and that because if you look at this team and just like you rightfully put it playing in Saikafa the same team that we are seeing now apart from Berahino because Berahino has never played in Saikafa most of the other players have literally been playing in the Saikafa tournament so they've been playing together they have gelled as a team and trust me they might actually not because right now when you talk about underdogs what comes to mind is they're going to just soak in goals and it's all about hiding their shame and not considering too many but Burundi today might just pull a surprise because for them even a draw works because the one thing about facing the so-called underdogs is they have nothing to lose at the end of the day they've already qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations they are going there they know very well that they are going to at least play three matches so what do you do as a coach tell them you know what boys get in there enjoy yourselves market yourselves because most of you are local players because this is also a market place exactly and you see for the first time we have Afghan happening in June and the transfer window is open so we might also see some players who go there believing that they're marketing themselves so we might see a team of Burundians that goes there one enjoys their football enjoy themselves and frustrate people Madagascar against Gambia late kickoff at 11pm East African time Madagascar qualifying for the first time as well pulling a big surprise and remember the calf president Ahmad it's the national of this particular island do you think that will motivate them to perform better in their debut qualification and remember watching Madagascar at the Kasarani stadium in 2003 and Harambe stars beat them they scored four goals against them Madagascar at the time did not know anything about football other than the actual football they knew this is a football but what do I do they had no clue whatsoever they were lost on that pitch but now look at them 15, 16 years down the line they are going to test their wits against Africa's finest and I must take my heart off and say wow that is proper focus that is proper vision and they're here to learn this is exposure for them I'm not expecting much from them they are good quality but there is also the lack of exposure this is a different brand of football than anything they've ever encountered before even the same can be said of Uganda and the same can be said of Tanzania two sides that have not been there since 1980 I mean that's a cool 39 years ago we are also suffering from stage fright as Kenya we've not been there for 15 years now Madagascar are making their debut they don't have mentors who can tell them why to the African cup of nations to play for Madagascar this is what we went through no, they don't have that kind of thing but they have a goal they have a vision you can hear the boast of calf even though he's tied up in a bit of controversy at the moment is from Madagascar who'd have ever thought usually such guys came from West Africa or North Africa so as I said there's a paradigm shift there's something happening in football and you need to be very observant and to see it but if Madagascar pull a surprise then that will be the stuff of which dreams are made because I don't fancy their chances Gambia are not the best footballing nation in Africa and by that I'm trying to say very politely that they are beatable so Madagascar if there's a team they can beat it should be Gambia actually it's not Gambia playing against Madagascar I think I have something for Gambia the same way you are sorry for that dear view but against Guinea then their chances become narrower because really Guinea is a soka kind of soka powerhouse well they have that flirtatious relationship with being a powerful soka house they've had it for ages now and that makes it all the more difficult for Madagascar because Guinea is a proper footballing nation with a lot of professionals who have played out there especially in France and Belgium so really for Madagascar as I said it doesn't make much of a difference whether it was Guinea or Gambia this is their debut you don't really expect much of them but football being what it is especially in the 21st century the onus and impetuses on them to pull off a surprise there's something else we're not looking at we really should look at is that the politics of football that goes on behind the scenes the kind of rigging ideas say usually done by hosting nations we watched Ethiopia a few years ago I think it was in 2004 something like that Win the Saqafa in very dubious fashion they were the host nation we saw Egypt in 2006 though at the beginning of that tournament I said that Egypt would win that tournament they went on to win it but I've done my research about that and there are still questions raised about how they won it you see I read Didier Drogba's book Commitment that's what it's titled he wrote about how the Egyptians controlled the traffic in Cairo on the way to the stadium and the way they did it the Egyptian bus moved into the stadium very swiftly they had no problems they had enough time to prepare I think over two hours before kickoff and the Ivorians were delayed in the traffic and they stood there and even when they could see the stadium which was within walking distance of course because of protocol they couldn't disembark and just take off by the time they got to the stadium they were destabilized mentally and remember I said psychologically that's what this battle is about and they put in a good shift but they couldn't win it and it went all the way down to the wire Egypt won it there's a lot of behind the scenes you remember Kenya let me not pretend that we are angels in 1987 all African games against Malawi we were playing here now stadium actually Kasarani where we switched off the lights that's where you were opening the Kasarani and they said the lights so that was a strategy the lights went off the vibe has always been that was a strategy because those guys were beating us proper and then we came back the following day and we won and we went all the way to the final I think it was the final no it was actually at Kasarani because that was the 1987 all African games but some games were being played here but the game against Malawi was played at Kasarani because that's when Kasarani was was wearing and that was in the final no it wasn't the final the semi-final actually the final was against Egypt it was a semi-final the semi-final against Malawi but the game was not played was played at Kasarani that's why we switched off the lights so you can see there's games political games that go on behind us Muraya you followed football for quite a while Titi Kamara former Guinea Sports Minister and striker for the Guinea national team was there and he did want us but do you think Guinea has got a standout person who can determine the game outcome to turn in their favor like Titi used to do during his heydays if you look at the kind breed of Guineans just like we are seeing elsewhere in Africa we are seeing very young players that are coming into the team we don't have a Titi or a Henry Kamara yes although are the two because they had two cameras that were very little we don't have those two at the moment that we can say we can be able to rely on these one or the other but just remember that even when they had Titi Kamara Harambistas were still never beaten by Guinea I know you remember that every time we faced Guinea we either beat them or drew with them and our record against them has always been very solid but looking at the Guinean team today it's full of youngsters anyone who really stands out not quite but then the whole team working also comes into play here so looking at these Guinean side they are going to be a threat they have always been a threat any time you face any of those West African sides any time you face the Malians you face the Guineans you face the Senegalese they are always going to trouble you there every coasts whether they have Ayan team or not whether they have the stars or not so people just need to be wary about them but I don't see them going further I was speaking with Teiras before your arrival and he was skeptical about Matasi's a potentiality especially in between the gold post I know you are all accounted opinion because you were having a chat with youth yesterday and you believe Matasi is crucial, is paramount for the national team on that particular front we are going to speak about Kenya against Algeria it's tomorrow and of course it's the home team so we are going to give them much needed patriotism but what do you say of Kenya and line up against Algeria that comprises of heavyweight some of them featuring overseas and having won medals Read Marais having won trouble with Manchester City well just looking at that game against Algeria for me when I've been looking at these Afghans especially for Haramistas I've been telling people the team that I'm really scared of is not Senegal but Algeria because I don't know what happens to us as Kenya anytime we meet a team from North Africa we've never performed well against them two these are teams and it's a culture that they have and I'm talking about Algeria Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia once they score a goal against you they will frustrate you they will start diving they will start making sure they just win falls one way or another so in tomorrow's match what needs to happen to Haramistas is we need to be very level minded going into that game we need to not over commit ourselves going into falls because when you look at the likes of Read Marais we also have these Slemani from Leicester City just looking at those two players they are threat for any defenders globally not just in Africa but globally so we need to be very careful just ensure that we don't over commit don't give them falls around the 18-yard box because again what we saw against DRC is Matasi and free kicks like these but Matasi and penalties is good he said several penalties are very friendly one against DRC one against Madagascar one against Madagascar one against DRC so he is shown that he is very good at penalties but if you look at the goal he considered against DRC it was a very it wasn't even a hard shot it was a very like it was a very poor goal to concede for him but then we also have to give him credit because looking at how he performed in that game the saves that he made because yes there is that one mistake it happens even the best goal keepers in the world the deheirs that we talk about they make blunders and sometimes actually the goals that you think they are not going to concede are the ones that they do concede so looking at Harambe Stars tomorrow first of all our boys I have to say are very well motivated because like I had said earlier for the first time we have a Harambe Stars team that has trained outside Kenya been income in France for more than two weeks and then for the first time again played proper preparation matches before it used to be either here at Kasarani or the Kenya School of Monetary Studies and you still hear problems these guys have not been paid and paid allowances then the friendlies that they play against Kangemi United or some combined team of I don't know who and who that have collected all over the place to come and play against Harambe Stars so they've had the facilities that they needed in terms of good pitches gyms and they've been given everything they played a business Democratic Republic of Congo in Madrid, Spain in Spain exactly so for the first time they will not come back and complain in fact the only issue that most of us had was why France because France was not very hot it was pretty cool in terms of temperatures but then the tournament is being played in Egypt so are the temperatures going to is it going to work against us training in France will we have been better off going to Dubai for example or just one of those Arabian countries where temperatures also are very similar but Harambe Stars tomorrow paid their allowances going to the match we beat Madagascar drew against DRC and it was a last how do you expect them to line up against Algeria as we wind up well how do I expect them to line up I'm just looking at the same team that played against the DRC I don't see any changes and that's hoping that the needle that Ayub Timber had goes away because if you look at the game that we played against the DRC Ayub Timber was our biggest threat I know people are having problems with Olonga and him being the only reliable striker that we have at the Afghan but then who else can we play Kahata definitely will start Eric Johanna will also start Abud Omar so it is going to be a very very similar team to the one that we saw against the DRC I don't see any changes there is a defensive dilemma for Minye as far as Kenya's game against Algeria considering Brian Mandela is out that will affect the team's performance no I don't think so because Kalaba we know is not a stranger to his squad his pattern parcel of the contingent as from previous times it's just that Brian Mandela was the preferred player so really we're good to go and so we didn't have to recall a player from home when this injury happened no the coach has got much trust in the squad years yes the train is good to go as far as good to go is concerned my concern is Matasi I think I addressed that I won't go back to it I don't want people to think that you have something against or I have something against him no no I've said what I've