Tusker FC with six players form the bulk of the Harambee Stars squad of 22 local based players named on Friday by the assistant coach, Yusuf Chippo.
However the Harambee stars technical team deferred naming the foreign-based players as they ponder on the unavailability of three of the squads’ top stars.
"We are still consulting with Oliech, we don't want to include his name in the team and then he doesn’t turn up. We understand Mariga has an injury but we haven't got official communication from him,” Football Kenya Federation,FKF Vice chair, Sammy Sholei sought to explain the delay obviously caused by the row pitting FKF, sponsors East Africa Breweries Limited and the three Harambee Stars players, Bob Mugalia, Dennis Oliech and McDonald Mariga over the purported illegal use of their images on a billboard.
Oliech has since ruled himself out of stars future games just two months after Kenya’s number one goalkeeper Arnold Origi quit the national team.
“ Origi's case is hard, we talked to his father to intervene but he can only go to a certain limit. The list is ready and once we firm up on all these we will unveil it to you next week, on Tuesday," added Sholei during the team naming held at the FKF secretariat at Nyayo stadium.
Chippo standing in for Head coach Francis Kimanzi currently in Egypt that will report to camp at the Moi international sports centre, Kasarani.
Gor Mahia, AFC leopards, Thika United and Sofapaka have three players each. Mathere United has two and a player each from Thika United and Rangers.
Surprise inclusion in the squad is Gor Mahia’s want-away midfielder, Collins Okoth, who recently announced that he had quit K'Ogalo though the club insists 'Gattuso' is on a suspension.
Chipo said the national team’s technical bench is not aware of the player’s suspension by Gor.
The most notable absentee in Chipo’s squad is Leopards' record signing Eric Masika whose place has been taken by Tusker's lanky defender Joseph Shikokoti. Others who missed a call up are Sofapaka goalkeeper, Duncan Ochieng and Leopards striker Victor Ochieng.
Tusker's Peter Opiyo also made it to the squad that will be captained by Pascal Ochieng’.The team will hold training sessions from Monday to Wednesday at Kasarani, and break camp on Thursday to link up with their respective KPL Clubs.
Harambee stars will host Malawi on June 2, before playing Namibia away a week later and then travel to Togo for the return leg which they won 2-1.
Full team list
Goal keepers
1.Boniface Otieno Tusker
2.Patrick Matasi AFC Leopards
Defenders
3.Mulinge Ndeto Ulinzi Stars
4.Brian Mandela Tusker
5.Pascal Ochieng Rangers
6.Joakins Atudo Tusker
7. James Situma Sofapaka
8. Dennis Odhiambo Thika United
9.Joseph Shikokoti Tusker
Midfielders
10.Humphrey Miyeno Sofapaka
11.kevin Ochieng Gor Mahia
12.Jamaal Mohammed Mathare United
13.Collins Okoth Gor Mahia
14.Paul Were Tusker
15.Ramadhan Salim Gor Mahia
16.Kepha Aswani Thika United
17.Peter Opiyo Tusker
18.Cliffton Miheso Thika United
19.Kevin Kimani Mathare United
20.Bernard Mangoli AFC Leopards
Strikers
21.Allan Wanga AFC Leopards
22.Bob Mugalia Sofapaka
Elvince Joshua
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