A top-three is the bare minimum for Kenya Lionesses at the HSBC Division Two legs in Montevideo and Sao Paulo, coach Simon Odongo has said.
Following an underwhelming fifth-place finish on home soil last month, Odongo is keen to see his charges bounce back strongly in Uruguay and Brazil to boost their qualification hopes for the final round of tournaments.
“We are looking forward to the next leg. We know what is at stake and we aim to finish in the top three to increase our chances of qualification to the final round. The girls know they have what it takes to compete against top-quality sides and we will make the necessary adjustments,” said Odongo.
The Lionesses entered camp on Tuesday for a seven-day high-performance training block at Kasarani Stadium, where they are sharpening their systems ahead of naming the final squad next week.
“The camp will be key in fine-tuning our strategies, especially our kick-off reception, decision-making and attack efficiency, among other areas,” Odongo explained.
He believes the gap between Kenya and leading sides such as Argentina, South Africa and China remains narrow.
“The margin between us and teams like Argentina, South Africa and China is small, and I am confident we can turn the tables on them in the next two tournaments and be competitive,” he observed.
Odongo expects competition for places in the travelling squad to be intense.
“It is an opportunity for the fringe players to put their hand up in training and impress the technical bench,” he added.
He also noted that several players have remained active by featuring for their respective Kenya Cup sides in recent weeks, which has helped maintain match sharpness.
“Some of them have been involved in the 15s game, which improves their sharpness and tactical awareness heading into the two tournaments,” he said.
On the men’s side, Kevin Wambua, head coach of the Kenya Sevens, expressed confidence in his squad’s readiness as they continue their push to return to the HSBC SVNS main series.
“The boys are sharp, focused and ready. Our goal is to get back to the main series stage — nothing less. Every session in this camp is geared towards that objective,” said Wambua.
Both squads will be named next week before departing for Uruguay on March 16.
