Oliech leads the foreign legion to camp

• Mariga expected home on Wednesday as Stars step up training ahead of Guinea Bissau match

All the foreign-based Harambee Stars players save for Inter Milan midfielder MacDonald Mariga are expected to link up with the squad on Tuesday morning as the team prepares for their 2012 Africa Nations Cup qualifier away to Guinea Bissau this weekend.

Team manager Edward Oduor said on Monday the foreign legion led by striker Dennis Oliech of French club AJ Auxerre left their European bases and will head straight to camp at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani.

Mariga leaves Europe today and will be in camp Wednesday morning.

“We sent them tickets and received confirmation. By tomorrow (Wednesday) morning, we’ll have all the professionals apart from Mariga,” said Oduor.

Head coach Twahir Muhiddin had called up 10 foreign-based players.

Tusker sensation Paul Were, who had been left out because of disciplinary issues with the national Under-20 team, will not be joining the senior squad despite being pardoned as the youth team is also busy preparing for their qualifier game against Lesotho in four weeks.

Monitor players’ fitness

But Oduor said Were will be in the team when they return to camp after the Guinea Bissau tie.

Also left out of this weekend’s game is Gor Mahia teenager Abdulmalik Mohammed, whose call up was somewhat a surprise given he has only had 49 minutes of Premier League action.

He is also involved with the Under-20 squad that finished third in the Cecafa youth championships in Asmara, Eritrea.

On Monday, Twahir said the arrival of the foreign-based players will be a big boost as it will give him ample time to monitor them.

“At least we will have two to three days to monitor their fitness levels before naming the traveling party,” he said.

Stars’ local-based players resumed camp on Monday evening after breaking for the weekend Kenyan Premier League matches.