Wanyama tops foreign legion named for friendlies

Harambee Stars coach Stanley Okumbi has named a contingent of 12 foreign based players who will link up with their local counterparts for next week’s two international friendly matches.

The Stars tackle Mozambique’s ‘Mambas’ and Liberia’s ‘Lone Star’ on November 12 and 15 respectively at home in warm-up international matches during the Fifa calendar.

Okumbi, going by the big names in his squad, is leaving nothing to chance.

Mozambique is ranked 95, while Liberia is placed at position 104, and the Stars, at position 85.

The combative holding midfielder and skipper Victor Wanyama, who plies his trade with Tottenham Hotspur in the English Premier League tops the list.

Wanyama featured on Sunday at the base of Hotspur’s midfield as his side held Arsenal to a 1-1 draw in a techy North London derby.

Lead striker Michael ‘Micah’ Olunga, who bagged a brace at the weekend in IF Djurgarden 5-2 win over Sundsvall in a Swedish League match is also on the list.

Olunga will most likely be augmented upfront by Zesco United’s striker Jesse Were, who had a phenomenal run with the Zambian club in the Caf- Champions League.

The trio are joined by Anthony Akumu, David Owino “Calabar” (Zesco United, Zambia), David Ochieng (New York Cosmos, USA), Brian Onyango Mandela (Maritzburg, South Africa), Aboud Omar (Slava Sofia, Bulgaria), Ismael Gonzales (Las Palmas, Spain) Amos Ekhalie (IFK Mariehamn, Finland), Clifton Miheso (Golden Arrows, South Africa) and Paul Were (Acharnaikos, Greece).

Olunga and Were will fight for the starting roles with on-form Tusker hit man Allan Wanga who makes a return to the national side after close to a year’s absence.

Wanga last featured for the Stars in December last year at the Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where the team had a catastrophic outing.

However, his rich vein of form this term with league champions Tusker has seen him redrafted into the squad.

Okumbi could also elect to tinker with his preferred 4-4-2 formation and revert a 4-3-3 set-up to give all the three strikers a chance.

“Wanga is an experienced player and the aim of bringing him to the squad is to have the youngsters learn from him.

“We are building a squad for the future with many young faces and I believe having the likes of Wanyama (Victor)and Wanga will be a good learning experience for the upcoming players,” Okumbi, whose side is unbeaten in the last six games, said.

The team will report to camp on Monday, however, according to the federation, former Gor Mahia’s attacking midfielder Ram Salim will play no part in the build-ups as he had asked to be omitted from the squad to allow him sought out essential pending administrative issues with his club MFK Topvar Topolcany of Slovakia.