AFC’s experienced defender David ‘Cheche’ Ochieng’ and Zesco United’s Jesse Were have been excluded from the Harambee Stars Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) provisional squad. The two have had amazing seasons for their respective teams but intense competition from other players has seen them excluded.
The squad also includes a new face in AFC Leopards midfielder Whyvonne Isuza. Isuza is currently the top scorer at the den despite playing in the midfield. In fact, because of his high goal tally, Isuzza has been listed by Sebastian Migne as a striker.
Alongside Isuzza, Migne has included strikers who have bagged a lot of goals for their clubs to improve Kenya’s chances at the AFCON. Kakamega Homeboyz’s Allan Wanga, Al Nasr’s Masoud Juma, Kashiwa Reysol’s Michael Olunga, Sofapaka’s John Avire and Oskarshamns AIK’s Christopher Mbamba have been selected as strikers alongside Isuzza.
Among the players who made the squad that were not involved much in the qualification include winger Ayub Timbe who has been out for long term with an injury. Also in is former Sofapaka winger Clifton Miheso, now playing in the Portuguese second division.
The team is set to travel to France on May 31 for a three-week training camp after which they will travel to Egypt for the tournament, five days before the start date. Meanwhile, the team of locally based players plus the few locals who have concluded their league assignments will start training from next week.
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The list of 30 players is, however, not the final one as four players will be dropped by the French tactician with 26 heading to France, after which another three will be dropped before the final team to travel to Cairo.
Harambee Stars AFCON provisional squad
Goalkeepers
Patrick Matasi(St. Georges – Ethiopia ), Farouk Shikalo (Bandari FC-Kenya), John Oyemba (Kariobangi Sharks – Kenya ), Brian Bwire (Kariobangi Sharks – Kenya).
Defenders
David Owino (Zesco, United-Zambia), Brian Mandela (Maritzburg United-South Africa), Musa Mohammed (Nkana FC – Zambia), Bernard Ochieng (Vihiga United-Kenya), Joseph Okumu (Real Monarchs SLC-USA), Joash Onyango (Gor Mahia-Kenya), Eric Ouma (Vasalund IF-Sweden), Aboud Omar (Sepsi Sfântu-Romania), Philemon Otieno (Gor Mahia-Kenya).
Midfielders
Victor Wanyama (Tottenham Hotspurs- England), Ismael Gonzalez (Las Palmas – Spain), Athony Akumu (Zesco United-Zambia), Dennis Odhiambo (Sofapaka FC-Kenya), Johanna Omollo (Cercle Brugge-Belgium), Francis Kahata (Gor Mahia- Kenya), Paul Were (AFC Leopards – Kenya), Eric Johanna (IF Bromma-Sweden), Clifton Miheso (Clube Olimpico do Montijo-Portugal), Ovella Ochieng (IF Vasalund, Sweden), Ayub Timbe (Beijing Renhe-China)
Forwards
Michael Olunga (Kashiwa Resyol – Japan), Masoud Juma (Al Nasr – Libya), Christopher Mbamba (Oskarshamns AIK-Sweden), John Avire (Sofapaka-Kenya), Allan Wanga (Kakamega Homeboyz – Kenya), Whyvhonne Isuza (AFC Leopards-Kenya).
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