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Diaspora talents called up to Harambee Stars: What happened next?
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Reading Time: 3min | Mon. 09.09.24. | 15:54
Over the last three years, the Turkish tactician has made efforts to bring in Kenyan-origin players from abroad.
Last week, Harambee Stars head coach Engin Firat expressed frustration over the bureaucratic challenges of obtaining Kenyan passports, which has prevented him from calling up several players of Kenyan origin for the upcoming AFCON qualifiers against Zimbabwe and Namibia.
Firat explained that he had been scouting players with Kenyan roots, either born in Kenya or abroad, but their eligibility was hindered by the complicated passport acquisition process.
In June, Tobias Knost and Zak Vyner missed out on matches against Burundi and Ivory Coast due to the same issue.
"I wanted to bring two new players into the squad this September, but the passport process in Kenya is far from straightforward. I still don't fully understand how it works," Firat admitted. "We have one player in Australia, another in England, and one in Ireland, all with Kenyan heritage. I thought it would be simple, but it's not."
Over the last three years, the Turkish tactician has made efforts to bring in Kenyan-origin players from abroad. Here's a look at some of the players Firat has called up and their current status with the national team:
Clarke Oduor
Born in Kenya, Oduor moved to the UK with his family at a young age and now plays for Bradford City in England’s fourth tier.
He was first recalled to the national team in 2023 for a friendly against South Sudan, having debuted under coach Francis Kimanzi in 2020. Oduor came on as a substitute in that match, was taken off 20 minutes later, and hasn’t been called up since.
Vincent Harper
Harper, also born in Kenya, relocated to England with his family and currently plays for Exeter City in the English third tier. Firat called him up for an October 2023 friendly against Russia, but he didn’t feature in the game and has not been recalled to the national team, despite his consistency at the club level.
Nabilai Kibunguchy
The US-born defender was called up for World Cup qualifiers against Gabon and Seychelles. He did not feature against Gabon and only came on in the 89th minute in a 5-0 win over Seychelles, his first and only appearance under Firat. He has never earned another call.
Bruce Kamau
Kamau, born in Kenya and raised in Australia, initially played for Australia's youth teams before making himself available for Harambee Stars in 2024 for World Cup qualifiers against Burundi and Ivory Coast. Despite this, he was not included in the squad that traveled to Malawi and missed the AFCON qualifiers. He was not summed for the September matches.
Daniel Anyembe
Born in Denmark, Anyembe committed to representing Kenya in 2023 and has since earned eight caps. He has become a key player for Firat, mainly as a right-back and occasionally as a central defender. However, his absence was noticeable during the Zimbabwe game, where the right-back position was exposed. Firat will be hoping to have his man back for the October matches.
Tobias Knost
The German-born right-back was called up in June for matches against Burundi and Ivory Coast but was unable to secure a Kenyan passport. As a result, the SC Verl player was not included in the latest squad.
Zak Vyner
Similar to Knost, the Bristol City defender was called up for the June matches but faced passport complications. He was not included in the squad for the September qualifiers.
Alfred Scriven
The Norway-based striker has been called up several times since Firat took over but has only made one appearance, coming off the bench in a friendly against Iran. Despite impressive performances at his club, FK Bryne, he has been overlooked in recent national team call-ups.
Wilkins Ochieng
Ochieng, born in Nairobi, was called up by Firat in 2021 for World Cup qualifiers against Uganda and Rwanda. However, he didn’t feature in any games and hasn’t been summoned since. His club career has also stalled, with his early promise—having played for Belgium U16—fading.
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