Nine big names missing from McCarthy's latest Harambee Stars squad
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Reading Time: 5min | Tue. 19.05.26. | 21:05
While McCarthy’s latest squad includes five new entrants drawn from Europe, it has also elicited mixed reactions and strong opinions about some players whom a section of stakeholders felt deserved a call-up
Harambee Stars head coach Benni McCarthy named his 24-man squad for the upcoming June international friendlies, with some marquee names overlooked in the squad.
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Kenya will travel to Central Asia to face Palestine on Wednesday, 3 June, before taking on hosts, Kyrgyzstan, on Saturday, 6 June.
The friendlies form part of Kenya’s preparations for the upcoming 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers as well as the 2027 AFCON finals that will be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
While McCarthy’s latest squad includes five new entrants drawn from Europe, it has also elicited mixed reactions and strong opinions about some players whom a section of stakeholders felt deserved a call-up.
It is on that backdrop that Mozzart Sport takes a look at some of the nine big omissions from McCarthy's squad.
Moses Shumah
The 23-year-old is perhaps the biggest surprise omission from McCarthy's latest Harambee Stars squad.
Plying his trade with Zambian champions Power Dynamos, the former Kakamega Homeboyz striker has been in great form in his maiden season.
Shumah has had a stellar season at Power Dynamos, where he scored 21 league goals to help his club clinch the Zambian Super League (ZSL) title.
His success in Zambia follows an equally impressive 2024/25 season, where he won the FKF Premier League Golden Boot after scoring 17 league goals for Homeboyz.
According to statistics, he is the most on-form Kenyan striker over the past two seasons, and with the absence of captain Michael Olunga, he was generally expected to lead the line alongside Ryan Ogam.
Alpha Onyango
Gor Mahia midfielder Alpha Chris Onyango also missed a place in McCarthy’s squad, much to the surprise of many.
Onyango has been one of McCarthy's key players since he took over the reins of the national team on 3 March 2025, being a constant figure in all his squads.
The Gor Mahia youth graduate has received enormous praise from the South African tactician and even captained the national team.
While he struggled for form at some point in the season, Onyango regained his confidence in recent times and has added important goals to his profile, including winners against Shabana and AFC Leopards and is on course to guide K’Ogalo to their 22nd league title.
Duke Abuya
Arguably the best creative/attacking midfielder in Kenya currently, Duke Abuya was also omitted from the latest Harambee Stars squad.
The 32-year-old has been phenomenal for Tanzanian giants Young Africans (Yanga) throughout the season, establishing himself as a mainstay in their starting 11 and a fan favourite for the club.
With enormous experience in the CAF Champions League (CAFCL), national team and playing in front of a huge Yanga crowd, a section of fans insist that he deserves a place in the Kenyan squad.
Manzur Okwaro
Harambee Stars teenager Manzur Okwaro is yet another big name that did not find space in the latest national team squad.
Following his impressive exploits with the national team in the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN), Okwaro earned a transfer to French side Stade de Reims, home to injured Harambee Stars vice captain Joseph Okumu.
Okwaro established himself as a fan favourite in the national team due to his quality, energy and versatility and has also been viewed by many as McCarthy’s blue-eyed boy.
However, the former Nairobi United man has been training with the youth side, which perhaps might have influenced the coach’s decision to leave him out of his squad.
Joe Waithira
Once again, there was no place for Murang’a Seal forward Joe Waithira, popularly referred to as ‘King Joe’.
The former Sofapaka captain has been phenomenal this season for Seal and is currently the leading goal scorer in the FKFPL with 17 goals, his latest being a sublime strike in their 3-1 loss to Gor Mahia that left Harambee Stars goalkeeper Bryne Omondi rooted to his post.
With his form and contribution to Seal this season, many had tipped King Joe to catch the eye of McCarthy, but that is yet to happen.
Shariff Musa
Gor Mahia winger Shariff Musa has been in great form for his club, forming an integral part of an attacking third that has scored the highest (50) league goals this season.
Musa has been a headache for opposing defenders with his speed, dribbling, and energy on the flanks, which has led Gor Mahia to the top of the league table.
The former Kariobangi Sharks winger was once again the Man of the Match in K’Ogalo’s latest encounter, a 3-1 win over Murang’a Seal, where he contributed to all the goals, scoring one and providing two assists.
However, he will seemingly need to work harder in order to earn a return to the national team squad.
Aboud Omar
Harambee Stars 2024 CHAN captain Aboud Omar is another surprise absentee from the latest squad.
Omar has been a key player for McCarthy and has been a leader in the dressing room as well as a performer on the pitch.
The experienced defender has equally covered the left side of defense well in the absence of Polish-based Erick 'Marcelo' Ouma.
The return of Ouma from injury, as well as his switch to central defense for Police FC, may have contributed to his omission from the scheduled June friendlies.
Humphrey Aroko
Kenya U20 sensation Humphrey Aroko has been a fan favourite this season with his impressive performances for relegation-threatened Kariobangi Sharks.
In what has largely been a poor season for Sharks, Aroko has been the silver lining in an otherwise dark cloud and perhaps the reason they are not in the red zone.
However, not even his performance, which includes nine league goals, convinced McCarthy to reserve a place for him in his 24-man squad.
Daniel Anyembe
Danish-based defender Daniel Anyembe was once again missing from the latest Harambee Stars squad.
Anyembe has recently been one of the most solid players in the Kenyan team and a key figure in the side, where he has been utilised either as a right back or in central defense.
Born in Denmark, Anyembe plays for Viborg in the top tier of his country of birth, where he has been playing as a centre back this season, including in their last match on Sunday, 17 May, with fans left to wonder why he was overlooked by McCarthy.