- Harambee Stars head coach Benni McCarthy has named his provisional squad for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Eritrea and Guinea.
- Harambee Stars will kick off their campaign at home against Eritrea on September 26 at Nyayo Stadium.
- Three players have earned their first senior call-ups, while captain Michael Olunga is among the notable inclusions.
Harambee Stars captain Michael Olunga is back as head coach Benni McCarthy has named a 38-man provisional squad for Kenya’s opening back-to-back fixtures in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Eritrea and Guinea.
Harambee Stars will kick off their campaign at home against Eritrea on September 26 at Nyayo Stadium before making the long trip to West Africa to face Guinea on October 1 at Stade du 28 Septembre in Conakry.
Kenya were drawn into a competitive Group D alongside South Africa, Guinea, and Eritrea for the PAMOJA 2027 qualifiers.
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Olunga is among the notable inclusions after being sidelined for almost five months due to injury.
The captain, who is just one goal away from equalling Kenya’s all-time national team scoring record, has been out of international action since September 2025, when he featured against Seychelles.
Since then, he has missed several matches, including the FIFA Series mini-tournament in Rwanda.
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The most notable aspect of this squad is the inclusion of three fresh faces earning their first senior call-ups: Kevin Wangaya, Louis Millard, and Javan Ochieng.
Wangaya gets the nod after impressing with Kenya U20, while Millard is a 17-year-old winger who recently signed with Swindon Town. Ochieng, meanwhile, is a former St. Anthony’s star who is now playing in the US.
The rest of the squad features players who recently earned their first appearances and have forced their way back into the setup after impressing in the recent national friendlies against Tunisia.
Most importantly, as Kenya prepares for AFCON 2027, which the country will host alongside Uganda and Tanzania, the bulk of McCarthy’s squad consists of foreign-based players, with just 12 drawn from the domestic league.
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Those include Gor Mahia’s Byrne Omondi, Paul Ochuoga, Mike Kibwage, Sharif Musa, Ben Stanley Omondi, and Frank Odhiambo.
Tusker have Brian Bwire, Chris Erambo, and Abud Omar, while Faruk Shikhalo joins Wangaya from Nairobi United. Lawrence Juma, who recently joined Bandari, also earns a call-up to complete the list.
Aldrine Kibet, after impressing with Celta Vigo B, also gets the nod. Fellow Spain-based players Job Ochieng of Real Sociedad and Amos Wanjala of Valencia are also on the list.
Unattached players Austin Odhiambo and Mohammed Bajaber are among the inclusions, while some of the notable absentees include Eric Ouma, who returned after a 10-month layoff, made his comeback in May.
Kenya have already qualified automatically for the 2027 continental showpiece, but they will still have to play these qualifiers for formality.
The fixtures will also give McCarthy a chance to assess his squad depth ahead of June 19–July 17 next year, when the tournament is set to kick off.
Harambee Stars provisional squad for AFCON qualifiers
- Goalkeepers: Byrne Omondi, Faruk Shikhalo, Ian Otieno, Brian Bwire, Caleb Kramer
- Defenders: Manzur Okwaro, Stanley Wilson, Abud Omar, Joseph Okumu, Amos Wanjala, Frank Odhiambo, Daniel Ayembe, Deon Woodman, Michael Kibagwe, Rooney Onyango, Paul Ochuoga, Hannif Wesonga
- Midfielders: Zak Vyner, Timothy Ouma, Kevin Wangaya, Chris Erambo, Duke Abuya, Marvin Nabwire, Austin Odhiambo, Zech Obiero, Will Lenkupae, Aldrine Kibet
- Attackers: Mohammed Bajaber, Sharif Musa, Ben Stanley, Job Ochieng, Adam Wilson, Javan Ochieng, Louis Millard, Michael Olunga, Ryan Ogam, Micah Obiero, Lawrence Okoth