This archive report was first published on 21 December 2021.
Kenya's football scene has been hit by a respiratory infection, forcing several key players to miss matches in the Football Kenya Federation league.
The infection, initially reported as the flu, has been confirmed by the government to be a respiratory infection.
On Friday, December 17, KCB and City Stars players skipped their league match at Ruaraka due to the illness.
KCB's captain, Simon Abuko, was among those who missed the match, with coach Zedekiah Otieno confirming his absence.
"Our captain Abuko was sick. The 'flu' is all over right now and he couldn't make it for today's match," said Zico.
City Stars, on the other hand, missed several starters, including Salim Abdallah, Kevin Okumu, and Kennedy Onyango, who were all absent due to the infection.
Midfielder Peter Opiyo, who had scored a brace in the previous match, also sat out the game, as did Nicholas Kipkirui, who watched from the sidelines as his team lost.
City Stars head coach Nicholas Muyoti confirmed the absences, hoping to have the players back before their next match on December 30.
"The last team that won against Mathare, most of the players missed today's game because of the 'flu' and it made a difference. The players who came in stepped up but we lacked that continuity, those who came in stepped up but that aspect of consistency missed. We are hoping to have them back after the break,” he stated.
