Sofapaka, Togolese goalie tips Stars to shine in final AFCON qualifier

Harambee Stars should not expect a tough match against Togo in the final 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier match Sofapaka and Togolese goalkeeper Moubarak Aigba has said.

Stars will wrap their group G qualifiers against Togo on Monday at the Stade de Kague in a match which they will be looking to register their first win in the pool as well as finish third.

Bragging rights will be at stake for the two teams who will be reduced to spectators in the finals set for next year in Cameroon after watching Egypt and Comoros seal the two top slots of the pool.

Ahead of the match, Aigba who was part of the Togo team which took part in the African Nations Championship (CHAN) held in Cameroon in January believes Stars will be equal to the challenge posed by the hosts.

The shot stopper whose superb saves earned him a move to the 2009 league champions revealed that Claude Le Roy's squad was largely made up of local based players as their professional players did not travel owing to the precarious travel restrictions in Europe.

"The Togolese squad has three professional players. Majority of the professionals did not travel for the final qualifier rounds. Their absence gives Kenya an advantage to fork out a positive result from the match. Much as I am rooting for us to finish the qualifiers with a win, beating Kenya will not be easy to beat if the performance they had against Egypt is anything to go by," he said.

The shot stopper who signed a two-year deal with Sofapaka envisages a short stay in the Football Kenya Federation Premier League.

He said he hopes to put a decent show once the league resumes in anticipation for greener pastures, preferably in Europe.

The 23-year old who described the Chan tournament as a stepping stone in his career expressed gratitude to the Togo technical bench for giving him the opportunity to showcase his talent at the continental scene.

"The exposure I got in Cameroon opened an opportunity for me to start my professional career. I hope that the suspension will be lifted for us to return to the pitch. I want to give my best so as to scale to the next level of my career," he added