Gor Mahia coach reveals drawback of producing many Harambee Stars call-ups
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Reading Time: 2min | Sat. 08.11.25. | 21:13
Seven Gor Mahia players have been named in Harambee Stars head coach Benni McCarthy’s 25-man squad
Gor Mahia assistant coach Bismark Kobi-Mensah has expressed concern over the challenges the club faces during international breaks, particularly when a significant number of their players are called up for Harambee Stars duty.
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Speaking to the club’s media team, the Ghanaian tactician acknowledged that while having several players represent the national team is a source of pride, it also presents a management challenge as fatigue tends to creep in once the players return to club action.
"Most of the time, we have regular players turning out for the national team, which is a good thing,” Kobi-Mensah said.
“However, when they are on duty during league breaks, they often come back tired. It’s a concern we must manage carefully so that we balance rest and still get the best out of them.”
Seven Gor Mahia players have been named in Harambee Stars head coach Benni McCarthy’s 25-man squad for the upcoming back-to-back international friendly matches against Equatorial Guinea and Senegal.
Vice-captain Austin Odhiambo, defenders Michael Kibwage, Sylvester Owino, and youngster Bryton Onyona, alongside midfielders Shariff Musa and Alpha Onyango, and goalkeeper Byrne Omondi, all made the final list.
Kobi-Mensah, 41, noted that such call-ups, while prestigious, often come with their challenges, especially for a team like Gor Mahia which supplies a large portion of the national squad.
The assistant coach also provided an injury update, revealing that the club will continue to miss Lewis Bandi, while Ebenezer Adukwaw remains doubtful ahead of their highly anticipated clash against reigning league champions Kenya Police FC on Sunday, 9 November.
"We will miss Lewis Bandi, who is still unavailable as he continues with rehabilitation,” Kobi-Mensah said.
“As for Ebenezer, he trained today in our last session, but we have to assess his fitness before making a final decision on his inclusion.”
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Bandi, a recent signing from arch-rivals AFC Leopards, is yet to make his competitive debut for K’Ogalo, while Adukwaw has been sidelined for over a month.
The Ghanaian's last appearance came on Sunday, 5 October, when he inspired Gor Mahia to a narrow win over KCB FC, with his assist seeing K'Ogalo win 1-0 over the Bankers.
With top spot in the FKF Premier League within reach, the record 21-time champions will be aiming to overcome Kenya Police FC and reclaim their familiar position at the summit of the 18-team standings.
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