File photo shows Lille's Rafael Schmitz (R) and Jean Makoun (L) fight for the ball with Nantes' Dennis Oliech during their French Ligue 1 soccer match in Nantes, western France, September 9, 2006. (Xinhua/Reuters File Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    by John Kwoba

    NAIROBI, Oct. 26 (Xinhua) -- Kenya Football Coaches Association(KEFOCA) on Monday demanded an immediate and unconditional reinstatement of France-based striker Dennis Oliech in the national team.

    Addressing a news conference in Nairobi, the association also called for the inclusion of midfielder Jamal Mohammed, defender Edgar Ochieng, goalkeeper Duncan Ochieng and winger Lawrence Owino.

    Apart from Oliech, the rest are home-based players.

    Oliech, who turns out for French first division club, Auxerre, was dropped from the Kenyan squad that played Mozambique in a 2010FIFA World Cup and African Cup of Nations Group 2 return match in Maputo on September 6. Kenya lost the tie 1-0.

    National coach Anthony Hey also dropped him from the team that met Tunisia in Tunis earlier in the month. Tunisia won 1-0.

    Hey, a German national who took charge of the Kenyan squad on March 31,said he found Oliech's discipline wanting.

    Apart indiscipline, Oliech has also been off-form and this could have been another factor that contributed to his being axed from the Kenyan team that hosts Nigeria in the last World Cup qualifier here on November 14.

    "Given the magnitude of our forthcoming last World Cup and African Cup of Nations match in Nairobi against Nigeria's Super Eagles next month, we feel some players like Oliech should be included in the team. We cannot underrate players who have contributed so much to the team," KEFOCA secretary-general Bob Oyugi told journalists in Nairobi.

    Oyugi said the inclusion of the five players would strengthen the team ahead of the match against Nigeria.

    He was quick to point out that they were not in any way undermining the national coach, but as the coaches' umbrella body, they were merely making suggestions that would strengthen the team.

    "Since (coach Hey) has a contract and has been paid three months in advance, we feel it's not fair to hijack his work. We don't want to appear as if we are ganging up against Hey. Let's give him the chance to complete his assignment so that Kenyans can judge him," said Oyugi.

    Hey who arrived in the country on Monday from Germany could not be reached for comment.

    The new development could be a reminder to coach Hey to pull up his socks. When he signed two-year contract with Football Kenya Limited (FKL), Hey promised to reach both the 2010 World Cup and African Cup of Nations finals, but today, Kenya's chances of securing tickets to both events are extremely slim.

    Lying at the bottom of the four team group with three points, the east Africans is definitely out of the race to South Africa. They are also out of the race for a ticket to the Cup of Nations finals in Angola.

    Tunisia leads the group with 11 points, followed by Nigeria with nine. Mozambique are third with four.

    The winner of each of the five groups battling for Africa's five World Cup slots will qualify for the World Cup, while the top three in each group will book tickets to the Nations Cup finals.