PAUL Were, the young and hot Tusker forward continues his whirlwind star performances -- from Kenyan Premier League to the national team Harambee Stars -- with yet another foray, this time into Under-20 international action. From accompanying the likes of high-profile stars like McDonald Mariga (Internazionale, Italy) and Dennis Oliech (Auxere, France) in the Harambee Stars team playing Tanzania in Dar es Salaam on Wednesday night, Were did not have a minute’s rest in Nairobi on Thursday before connecting a flight to Eritrea to join his peers for the Cecafa Under-20 Championship to kick-off in Asmara today (Saturday).

Kenya’s first match is on Tuesday and it will be an intriguing one. It will be the third meeting with Sudan in just over three weeks. Involved in the 2011 African Under-20 Championship qualifiers, Kenya first beat Sudan 2-0 in Khartoum before Were scored a spectacular long-range shot to win the return leg in Nairobi 1-0 a fortnight later. It earned Kenya a last-phase meeting with Lesotho in search of a slot in the eight-team finals to be hosted by Libya next July.

“Maybe they [Sudan] think they have learnt our tactics but we can’t let them beat us. We shall go all out to score a triple over them. There is no way they are going to beat us,” said Were at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), the lone Kenya team traveller to Asmara because his teammates had left the previous evening.

To bid Were farewell was none other than Mariga, Inter Milan’s European Champions League winner who shared the midfield dominance with Were in the second half of their drawn [1-1] Fifa Day international friendly against Tanzania. Mariga was himself waiting to catch a later flight out of JKIA, back to Italy to ready himself for the oncoming start to the Serie “A” season. "Fanya Mambo Msee, niwe nasoma tu kwa magazeti [Do your stuff, buddy, and I will just be reading it in the Press],” the superstar-status Mariga heartily encouraged the 19-year-old prodigy.

“I have this huge passion to just keep on firing in goals,” young Were was later feverishly addressing sports photographer Mohammed Amin. “Honestly I want to try to be the top scorer in Eritrea and for Kenya to be in that final [on August 28],” the youngster added. Already having swum among the big boys – with Harambee Stars in CHAN (Championship of African Nations] 2011 qualifiers and in the cut-throat Kenyan Premiership – Were perhaps anticipates a less steep hill to go over his peers in the Under-20s.

KENYA SQUAD:-

18. Caleb Otieno Adola (KCB)
12. Milton Milimo (AFC Leopards)
2. Charles Odette Bala (Mahakama)
5. Musa Mohamed (Gor Mahia)
16. Cyrus Shitote (Sony Sugar)
6. Anthony Akumu (Gor Mahia)
11. Innocent Mutiso (Captain, Mathare United)
7. Edwin Mwaura (Posta Rangers)
4. Raphael Muigai (KCB)
10. Victor Majid (Sony Sugar)
9. Jacob Kelli (Mathare United)
15. Abdulmalik Mohamed (Gor Mahia)
17. Paul Were (Tusker)
13. Ali Hamisi Mwijuma (United Sparki)
14. Moses Arita (Thika United)
28. Duncan Owiti (Gor Mahia)
-- Elly Ashieche Sekah (Bidco)
-- Mohamed H Musa (Congo United)

Coach - Vince Ombiji
Assistant coach – Rashid [Rishadi Shedu] Hamisi
Asst coach - Ibrahim Kigonge

Goalkeeper coach – Hassan “Sunil” Shah
Team Manager – Boniface “Cisco” Kariuki

Physician - Dr David Ndakhalu

Head of delegation - Johana Omare