Okoth in, Masika out of Harambee stars local based provisional squad

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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