Benni McCarthy, head coach of the Kenya national football team, Harambee Stars, has announced a provisional squad for the upcoming African Nations Championship (CHAN). This tournament is reserved solely for players who are active in their home leagues.
The squad comprises talent from the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Premier League, spotlighting the nation’s finest local players, as detailed by the South African manager.
Leading the attacking line is Kakamega Homeboyz’s striker, Moses Shumah, who concluded the 2024/25 Premier League season as the top scorer with 17 goals. He will be accompanied by Emmanuel Osoro from FC Talanta and Ryan Ogam from Tusker FC in the forward line.
Osoro ended the season with 16 goals and was part of the Harambee Stars squad that played against Chad in an international friendly during the last FIFA international break. In the second friendly, Osoro not only scored a goal but also provided an assist in Kenya’s 2-1 victory, marking McCarthy’s first victory as coach of the national team.
Ryan Ogam had a promising start to the season with 15 goals for the Brewers by the halfway point but suffered an injury that sidelined him for a significant portion of the subsequent matches. He made a return towards the end of the season but was unable to match Shumah’s scoring record.
Sofapaka’s winger, Edward Omondi, has also earned his place in the squad after a commendable season with his club. In midfield, Mohammed Bajaber, who played a key role in helping Kenya Police FC secure their first-ever Premier title, has been selected to bring an extra creative touch to the team.
Keith Imbali and the Ulinzi Stars’ pair of Yakeen Muteheli and Staphod Odhiambo are set to make their first appearances for the national setup, while the goalkeeping contingent will see Farouk Shikhalo (Bandari), Sebastian Wekesa (Kariobangi Sharks), and Brian Opondo (Tusker FC) take charge.
Group A Matches Set for Kasarani
The Harambee Stars will conduct their Group A matches at Kasarani Stadium, where they have been placed alongside Morocco, Angola, DR Congo, and Zambia. Kenya’s opening match will kick off at 15:00 local time against the Democratic Republic of Congo, followed by Morocco versus Angola at 18:00, also at Nyayo Stadium.
Following their opening match against DR Congo, Kenya will face Angola on Tuesday, August 7th, before taking on Morocco on Sunday, August 10th, and concluding group play with a match against Zambia’s Chipolopolo on Sunday, August 17th.
The tournament is slated to commence on Saturday, August 2nd, in Dar es Salaam with a match between the co-hosts, Tanzania, and Burkina Faso at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium at 20:00 local time.
On the following Sunday at 20:00, Benjamin Mkapa Stadium will host a clash between Madagascar and Mauritania. The opening fixtures in Kampala will take place on Monday, August 4th, 2025, featuring co-hosts Uganda against Algeria at 20:00 local time, preceded by Niger facing Guinea at 17:00 at the same location.
This will be Kenya’s inaugural appearance in the CHAN tournament. The last time the country participated in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) was in 2019, where they were eliminated during the group stages. However, this time, the Harambee Stars are eager to progress further, especially with the added motivation of competing on home soil. The team is expected to gather for training camp on July 10th, 2025.
The announcement of the squad comes shortly after the Kenyan government reaffirmed its dedication to hosting the tournament by officially handovering Kasarani Stadium, which will also be the venue for the closing ceremony and the final match, to the Local Organising Committee (LOC).
The opening match will take place at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam, while Nelson Mandela Stadium in Kampala has been designated to host the semi-final and third-place play-off matches.
For the first time, the eighth edition of this biennial association football tournament, organised by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), will be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. The tournament is set to run from August 2nd to August 30th, 2025, and promises to be an exhilarating celebration of local football talent across East Africa.
Kenya Provisional Squad:
Goalkeepers: Farouk Shikhalo (Bandari), Sebastian Wekesa (Kariobangi Sharks), Brian Opondo (Tusker FC).
Defenders: Siraj Mohammed (Bandari FC), Manzur Suleiman (KCB), Pamba Swaleh (Bandari FC), Aboud Omar (Kenya Police), Alphonce Omija (Gor Mahia), Sylvester Owino (Gor Mahia), Michael Kibwage (Tusker), Daniel Sakari (Kenya Police), Lewis Bandi (AFC Leopards), Kevin Okumu (KCB).
Midfielders: Brian Musa (Kenya Police), Kelly Madada (AFC Leopards), Keith Imbali (Shabana), Alpha Onyango (Gor Mahia), Mathias Isogoli (KCB), Staphod Odhiambo (Ulinzi Stars), Austine Odhiambo (Gor Mahia), Ben Stanley (Gor Mahia).
Forwards: Mohammed Bajaber (Kenya Police), Boniface Muchiri (Ulinzi Stars), David Sakwa (Bandari), Emmanuel Osoro (FC Talanta), Yakeen Muteheli (Ulinzi Stars), Edward Omondi (Sofapaka), Ryan Ogam (Tusker), Moses Shumah (Kakamega Homeboyz), Beja Nyamawi (Bandari).
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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