The retired footballer believes there could be no better outcome than avoiding a defeat against the Pharaohs away from home
Retired striker Peter Dawo has described the Harambee Stars’ 1-1 draw against Egypt on Thursday as a “perfect result”.
Kenya managed to draw in their Group G opener in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in Alexandria and the former international has hailed the players for the performance.
“It was a perfect result. If you look at the standard of the Kenyan football of late you can see it has not been promising and now for the national team to pick up a draw with Egypt, for me this is a great result,” Dawo told Goal.
“Drawing with an Arab nation away from home means a lot for the team and being one of the former players who have faced them before I know what the result means.”
The Gor Mahia great says both the technical bench and the playing unit deserve praise after the draw.
“This was a collective effort and everyone from the players and the coaches deserve credit. If the coach had picked a relatively poor squad then results would have been equally poor and they would have shared the blame,” explained Dawo.
“Good results are always assured when the coach picks a good team there are no two ways about it.”
Dawo now wants coach Francis Kimanzi and his team to go for a win when they host the Pharaohs in the reverse fixture.
“Starting with a draw is fine because I know they will be very much encouraged when they will be preparing for the second match. Harambee Stars must hope for a win when they will welcome Egypt, that is what I can tell them,” added the former striker.
Dawo added how Thursday’s match reminds him of their encounter against Egypt in the fourth All-Africa Games, which were played in 1987 at Kasarani.
“We faced them in the finals and they defeated us 2-1 but we got a lot of credit. We felt like we were the champions because the difference between their level and our own was wide but beating us 2-1 was something to celebrate then,” he concluded.
“Kenya have been fearing the Arab countries because of their system of play and standard of their game but now the fear will fade fast especially after this result in Egypt.”
The Harambee Stars face Togo on Monday in their next qualifier.
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