Former Stars players on parade as KPA football championships enter semis

Former Kenyan internationals Wycliffe Anyangu, Philip Opiyo, Raphael Okello and Anthony Kimani are some of the players who will be on parade as when semi-final matches of Kenya Ports Authority Inter-Department football semi finals take place on Thursday.
The two-week championship which comes to an end on Friday, will see Port Police who led Group ‘A’ take on Security Department who finished second in Group ‘B’ today at 9.30am, while Group ‘B’ winners Inland Container Deport Nairobi (ICDN) will square it out with Terminal Engineering from 4.30pm.

Anyangu, a former player for Kenyan Premier League giants AFC Leopards, also played as fullback for Harambee Stars and Bandari. He will lead Security Department as player cum coach, with former Harambee Stars defenders Philip Opiyo, Sharrif Mohammed, Khamis Khalfani and Wahab Musa also in the team.

Inland Container Deport Nairobi, coached by former Gor Mahia player George ‘Fundi’ Onyango, is the team to beat as it features former Bandari midfielder Anthony Kimani, defender-turned striker Raphael Okello, left back Abdulatif Ashiobe, striker Abdilahi Adam, Yusuf Mohamed and basketballer-turned footballer Joseph Ouma Shivale.

They face stiff challenge from a Terminal Engineering side featuring speedy winger Anthony Katana, defender Evans Orodi, Abdulrahman Swaleh Dura, among others.

“We’ve been playing second fiddle to Terminal Operation in the past five years but it’s now our time to take it”, Anyangu said after Wednesday’s training session.

Meanwhile, the first ever swimming competition at the games take place this morning at Bandari College Swimming Pool. Marine Department, with star swimmer Abdallah Shahame in its ranks, start as clear favourites.

ICDN will parade experienced James Kagete, Derril Shiukanka, Brian Rono, Constance Wanjiku among others to battle opponents from Security, Terminal Engineering, Port Police and Administration departments.