FKF, Kashiwa Reysol tussle over Michael Olunga

By DAVID KWALIMWA
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Football Kenya Federation and Japanese side Kashiwa Reysol are caught up in a tussle over the release of Harambee Stars striker for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.

Olunga, who is still in Japan, is set to miss Kenya's international friendly against Madagascar in Paris on Friday in a move that has left the team's head coach Sebastien Migne fuming.

Nation Sport understands Migne is even contemplating dropping Olunga from his squad to compete at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations altogether.

The gist of this club versus country row cropped up on Tuesday after Olunga's Japan second-tier club Kashiwa Reysol suggested they are only willing to release the forward for international duty after Sunday's league match away to Ehime FC.

Migne would hear none of that, having planned an elaborate preparation program for each of his players in a bid to gauge their fitness and fine tune the technical and tactical formation ahead of Kenya's Group "C" assignments at the Africa Cup of Nations versus Algeria, Tanzania and Senegal.

FIFA INTERVENTION

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It is against this background that Migne recently rejected a request by Harambee Stars captain Victor Wanyama to rest for four days before linking up with the national team. Wanyama was an unused substitute as his English side Tottenham Hotspur lost 2-0 to Liverpool in the Uefa Champions League final on Saturday.

"All I can say right now is that we are still discussing with Reysol but a solution is yet to be arrived at," confirmed Football Kenya Federation spokesperson Barry Otieno.

"The football rules allow us to have the player at the moment considering we are in the window for international games, plus also considering the calibre of competition we are preparing for."

FKF has reportedly sought Fifa’s intervention on the matter.

Olunga missed Kenya's last international assignment away to Ghana in March under unclear circumstances as Reysol - who are ranked seventh on the 22-team Japan's second tier league - insisted he was carrying an 'injury'.