Parma midfielder Macdonald Mariga has ruled himself out of the 2014
World Cup qualifier between Kenya’s Harambee Stars and Nigeria’s Super
Eagles in Nairobi on June 5.
Mariga’s father Noah Wanyama has exclusively informed Goal.com
that the towering star, who is on loan at Parma from Inter Milan, is
scheduled to undergo a minor knee surgery in USA and thus will not be
available for the decisive fixture against the African champions.
“Mariga will not be available because he has to undergo an operation
to heel his troubled knee. The surgery will take place almost the same
time when we will play Nigeria and thus he will not make it."
Wanyama added, “Mariga wants to start the coming season free of
injury and that can only be achieved if he does the operation now. He
has wished the team well and is confident that Kenya have the best squad
capable of gunning down the Super Eagles at home.”
Mariga, who last featured for Kenya during the 2012 Afcon qualifier
against Uganda Cranes in Kampala, is among foreign-based players coach
Adel Amrouche had summoned to camp to prepare for the match.
Since joining Parma, Mariga has not enjoyed enough playing time after
he was stretched off after damaging his abductor following a collision
with an opponent, five minutes into his full debut against Genoa on
February 15.
Wanyama also confirmed that midfielder Victor Wanyama, who turns out
for Scottish champions Celtic, was due in the country on Monday night.
Meanwhile, Kenyan captain Dennis Oliech is already in the country
though he is not eligible to face Nigeria having picked two yellow
cards.
Oliech was spotted at City Stadium on Saturday watching a premiership
match between AFC Leopards and his former club Mathare United.
He did not feature for his club Ajaccio, who were involved in a
relegation battle in the French Ligue one against Nice. Though they lost
2-0 against Nice, Ajaccio survived relegation.
The Kenyan skipper will however, be eligible to play when the team travels to Malawi on June 14 for a World Cup qualifier.
His absence against Nigeria has forced Amrouche to recall Kepha Aswani, who plays for Al Nasr in Oman...Courtesy Goal.Com