History-making Kariobangi Sharks prefer to focus on lessons

The enormous gap between the local premier league and the English Premier League will be laid bare Sunday afternoon when Everton face Kariobangi Sharks in a friendly match at Moi International Sports Centre in Kasarani.

The friendly match has been organised by online betting company SportPesa, as a token of appreciation for Sharks who won the SportPesa Super Cup early this year in Tanzania.

Sharks coach William Muluya has already said that he won’t waste his energies planning for a win, but that he will instead focus on collecting as many lessons as possible from the visitors.

Nevertheless, Sunday’s match, which will be televised live across local television stations, will draw considerable attention to his tactical acumen, the individual and collective capabilities of his players, as well as the strength of his entire technical bench.

“First of all, I’d like to welcome them to Kenya. Kariobangi Sharks is a team with young players, and we intend to make history by showcasing the quality of talent we have, and to give our fans some football entertainment.

“We appreciate the fact Everton are on a different level from us, but we believe that we have the talent to match their kind of play.

“I am an Arsenal fan, and (Theo) Walcott has been one of my favourite players for long. I’m sure he will have a good game today. However, I would also like to see how my defenders measure up against him. I hope they will show how good they are,” said Muluya, who is one of the youngest coaches in the local premier league.

Walcott and 21 other players arrived in the country early yesterday morning aboard a chartered flight, and were engaged in various football activities across Nairobi during the day.

If he is named in the starting line-up, Walcott is likely to be manned by Michael Bodo, Eric Juma and Wycliffe Otieno who are Sharks most formidable defenders.

Patrick Otieno, a new Sharks player is also expected to feature in this match, albeit as a reserve.

Ademola Lookman, the marauding forward who scored against Gor Mahia in Liverpool last year, is also another player to look out for.

To book the date with Everton, Kariobangi Sharks FC won the 2019 edition of the SportPesa Cup which took place in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, in January. Their 1-0 win over Bandari FC gave them regional supremacy and the opportunity to play the Blues.

Sunday’s game marks Everton’s second visit to East Africa. The team travelled to Tanzania in July 2017 to face inaugural SportPesa Super Cup winners Gor Mahia FC in a game the Toffees won 2-1, the first time a Premier League club had visited east Africa.

In November 2018, Kenya’s Gor Mahia FC travelled to Goodison Park, the first occasion an east African club side has played a Premier League club in the UK.

Sharks and Everton will both be wearing their new season’s kits for the first time. Both sets of kits have been manufactured by renowned apparel makers Umbro.

Tickets for the match are already on sale, with regular tickets going for Sh100 at various retailing booths in Nairobi and VIP tickets retailing at Sh1,000 at mookh.com.

Maarten Stekelenburg, Dennis Adeniran, Tom Davies, Theo Walcott, Jonas Lossl, Mason Holgate, Lewis Gibson, Morgan Schneiderlin, Ademola Lookman, Leighton Baines, Andre Gomes, Oumar Niasse, Ryan Astley, Callum Connolly, Morgan Feeney, Antonee Robinson, Beni Baningime, Joe Williams, Nathan Broadhead, Fraser Hornby, Josh Bowler, Nathangelo Markelo