Guinea Bissau Vs Kenya (Away)
Date: 4th September 2010

Qualifier, 2012 Africa Cup of Nations

Both teams are in Group “J” together with Angola and Uganda. Kenya has never played Guinea Bissau in the past. Prior to the game, Guinea Bissau is ranked 188 just behind Brunei Darussalam and St. Lucia but ahead of Tahiti and Djibouti as per the latest rankings. Compared, Kenya is at position 116 and just behind Cuba and Namibia but ahead of Luxembourg and Faroe Islands.

Guinea Bissau, nicknamed the Djurtus, has risen from their worst ever ranking of 195 as per February this year. The best ranking the country has ever achieved is 115, Kenya’s position in the rankings released in July 2010. Kenya’s best ranking is position 68 in December 2008 and the worst being 137 in July 2007.

Guinea Bissau last played an international competitive game on the 7th of December 2007 against Cape Verde during the Amílcar Cabral Cup which is a football tournament for West African Countries. It ended 1-1. That was after a 2-0 victory over Sierra leone.

Kenya on the hand played its last game on 18th August 2010 against Ethiopia in Addis Ababa, a friendly game that ended 3-0 in favor of Kenya. That was after another friendly game against Tanzania that ended in a 1-1 draw. Kenya's last competitive game was against Uganda in the African Nations Championships a game kenya won 2-1.

Guinea Bissau began participating in the qualifier towards the Africa Cup of Nation in 1992. But to date the tiny West African country, bordered by Senegal, Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean, has never made it to Africa’s ultimate competition. Kenya on the other hand will be attempting to qualify for a sixth time and the first time after 2004.

Ahead of the upcoming game, both Guinea Bissau and Kenya will go into the game with home-bred coaches. Guinea Bissau will be led by Cande Baciro while Kenya’s Harambee Stars will be led by Twahir Muhidin.

Guinea Bissau has close to half of its players turning out for teams in Cyprus, Portugal, Romania and Spain. But being a former Portuguese colony, the team is bound to have a large chunk of its players from Portugal

Kenya has players spread out in Europe, Scandinavia, the region and local based players who are expected to assemble for the away clash against Guinea Bissau.