Kenya national team coach Benni McCarthy revealed his final 25-man squad for the 2024 Africa Nations Championships (CHAN) taking place next month.
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The Harambee Stars are set to co-host the CHAN, a tournament reserved only for players who play in their domestic leagues, alongside Uganda and Tanzania.
McCarthy's side was drawn in Group A alongside the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Morocco, Zambia, and Angola.
In his squad, the former Manchester United coach selected three goalkeepers, 10 defenders, five midfielders and seven attackers, according to Pan-Africa Football.
Kenya’s CHAN 2024 Squad:
Goalkeepers: Faruk Shikhalo, Byrne Omondi, Sebastian Wekesa
Defenders: Siraj Mohammed, Manzur Suleiman, Pamba Swaleh, Aboud Omar, Alphonce Omija, Sylvester Owino, Mike Kibwage, Daniel Sakari, Lewis Bandi, Kevin Okumu.
Midfielders: Brian Musa, Alpha Onyango, Austin Odhiambo, Ben Stanley, Marvin Nabwire.
Forwards: Mohammed Bajaber, Boniface Muchiri, David Sakwa, Ryan Ogam, Masoud Juma, Austin Odongo, Felix Oluoch.
The Kenyan side was set to play in a CECAFA pre-CHAN tournament against Tanzania, Senegal and Uganda but the South African coach revealed that Kenya had pulled out to avoid injuries.
"The team, and the technical team, came together, and we just said that we think very highly about ourselves and we want to have best preparations for CHAN, we want to get ready for CHAN, and if we want to continue in the tournament, it could have set us back majorly probably losing players to injuries, because the conditions were not favorable for us to work in," McCarthy said, according to Flashscore.
He felt that it was best for his team to return to Kenya to feel best prepared for the tournament. He explained that the team's training situation for the CECAFA tournament was not ideal.
“So, because of those reasons, we sat together as a team, and said that if the conditions are not favourable, then we rather come back to Kenya where we do have the facilities, and the right training pitches to train and maximise our sessions and our planning so that we can be ready for CHAN," he said.
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"So that was the main reason, football reason, nothing else," he concluded.
