Harambee Stars long relented to globalisation and it is now common to see foreign-born footballers featuring for the national team.
Recently, Football Kenya Federation (FKF) and Harambee Stars coach Benni McCarthy have intensified efforts to increase the pool of footballers of foreign descent who can play for Kenya.
In February, McCarthy, together with FKF vice president McDonald Mariga and several FKF officials and members of the Harambee Stars technical bench, pitched camp in England where they held conversations with English-born players of Kenya heritage.
Harambee Stars coach Benni McCarthy during the team's training at Utalii Sports Club on September 1, 2025.
Photo credit: Chris Omollo | Nation Media Group
The purpose of those conversations was to convince such players to commit their international career to Harambee Stars. Still, some of the players McCarthy and his delegation held talks with are not strangers to the national teams.
Grimsby Town defender Clarke Oduor featured in Kenya’s 2-1 friendly win over Zambia in 2019. Zak Vyner, the Wrexham defender, was called up by former Harambee Stars coach Engin Firat in 2024.
Clarke Oduor (centre) celebrates a goal in a past match for English Championship side Barnsley on August 15, 2020.
Photo credit: Pool
Zech Obiero, the Tranmere Rovers midfielder, was called up, and later dropped, from the Kenya Under-20 squad that appeared in the 2025 Under-20 African Cup of Nations (Afcon) held in Egypt.
Since they have never represented England at senior or youth level, there are less complexities involved in the trio’s switch of allegiance from England to Kenya.
Fifa’s player eligibility guidelines
A player wishing to change nationality must first be eligible to obtain the citizenship of the country they wish to switch to. Fifa explain conditions under which a player is eligible to obtain nationality of another country in article eight of Fifa’s player eligibility guidelines. Such players must meet the following conditions:
First, they must have been born on the territory of the association they are switching to; or
Secondly, they must have their biological mother or biological father was born on the territory of the association they are switching to; or
Third, the players must have their grandmother or grandfather was born on the territory of the association they are switching to.
Finally, they must have lived on the territory of the association they are switching to for a period varying from three to five depending on whether they started living in that country before turning 10, reaching 18 years, or after age of 18.
Hence, before FKF can approach a foreign-born player to switch nationality, they must ensure they meet any of those four conditions.
However, while most players usually meet such conditions, their desire to switch nationality can require more paperwork if they have already played for county they are changing their nationality from at senior or youth level.
Had any of Obiero, Oduor, or Vyner represented England before, their switch of nationality to Kenya would have depended on their situation falling in any of the following five circumstances:
Clarke Oduor at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on October 7, 2020.
Photo credit: Pool | FKF
First, they played for England only at youth level and were already dual-registered with Kenya.
Secondly, they were not dual-registered with Kenya when they played for England only at youth level but their last international appearance England came prior to their 21st birthday.
Third, they played for England at senior level and were dual-registered with Kenya at the time of their England debut. Further, their last appearance for
England was before turning 21 and, they did not play more than three times for England. Also, three years must have passed since their last match for England, and they did not play for England at a major tournament.
