Harambee Stars coach Benni McCarthy instructs his players during a training session at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani Annex ground on July 16, 2025.
With playing time in the delayed 2024 African Nations Championship (Chan) at stake, Harambee Stars players will be out to catch the eye of coach Benni McCarthy on Monday when they play home team Tanzania in Cecafa Four Nations Tournament in Arusha.
The match will kick off at 3pm at Karatu Stadium in Arusha.
Uganda and African giants Senegal are the other teams competing in the Four Nation Tournament, which will be played in a round-robin format from today till July 27.
Initially, Kenya had been scheduled to play bitter rivals Uganda in the first match of the tournament, but logistical challenges that delayed Senegal’s arrival in Arusha prompted a change in the fixtures. All the four nations are using the tournament to prepare for 2024 Chan, to be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania from August 2 to 30.
McCarthy has said that identifying his starting squad for 2024 Chan will be one of his main goals in the few days remaining before the continental showpiece begins.
“Of course we still have two more weeks before the actual tournament (Chan) starts, so now we just want to focus on getting the team’s organisation and establishing who is going to be in the first 11,” the South African said after Harambee Stars players held their final training session at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani on Friday.
His other objectives in the Cecafa campaign are to improve the match fitness levels of his players, and to foster team unity and enhancing tactical understanding.
The former Manchester United’s forwards coach who also played as a striker at FC Porto, named a 25-man squad for the Cecafa tournament, including veteran striker Masud Juma who is not eligible for Chan since he is currently not attached to any local club.
Harambee Stars defender Alphonce Omija (left) and midfielder Keith Imbali during a training session at Moi International sports Centre, Kasarani on July 14, 2025.
Securing playing time in Chan is crucial for the Harambee Stars players since it would provide them with a perfect opportunity to be scouted by other top clubs.
Against Tanzania’s “Taifa Stars” today, McCarthy will also be eyeing his second win with Harambee Stars. Since being appointed Kenya’s coach in March, McCarthy’s only victory with the team is 2-1 win over lowly-ranked Chad in a friendly match in Morocco in June.
The former Porto striker has guided Harambee Stars to two draws; a 3-3 stalemate against Gambia in a Group ‘F’ match of the 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifiers, and 0-0 affair against Chad in another friendly match held in Morocco. He has suffered one loss with Kenya - 2-1 to Gabon in another Group “F” match of 2026 World Cup qualifiers. Of keen interest to him in Arusha will be to identify the right man to lead Kenya’s attack in 2024 Chan.
Ryan Ogam and late call-ups Felix Oluoch and Austin Odongo are the natural strikers in the squad.
Of the trio, Ogam was the most prolific in the 2024/25 Football Kenya Federation Premier League, netting 15 goals despite missing much of the second leg due to injury.
McCarthy was forced back to the drawing board after lead strikers Moses Shumah and Emmanuel Osoro withdrew from the squad to complete their moves to Zambia’s top-tier side Power Dynamos.
Shumah topped the scorers’ charts while playing for Kakamega Homeboyz with 17 goals, followed by Osoro with FC Talanta on 16 goals.
Beja Nyamwai, the other striker earlier selected in the Chan provisional squad, picked up a late injury in training. The last meeting between Kenya and Tanzania was during the Mapinduzi Cup held in January in Zanzibar where Harambee Stars claimed a 2-0 victory.
Tanzania coach Hemed Suleiman named a 26-man squad for Chan. After holding a high-intensity camp in Ismailia, Egypt since July 9, the team returned home on Saturday.
