Kenya Police midfielder Mohammed Bajaber is eager to translate his impressive club form into national duty as Harambee Stars prepare for their crucial 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifiers against Gambia and Gabon on Thursday and Sunday, respectively.
Bajaber, 22, is one of five locally-based players included in coach Benni McCarthy’s 23-man squad for the two fixtures.
The others are goalkeeper Faruk Shikhalo (Bandari), defenders Manzur Okwaro (KCB) and Ronny Onyango (Gor Mahia), and midfielder Ben Stanley Omondi (Gor Mahia).
McCarthy, the former South African football legend and ex-Manchester United forward coach, will lead Harambee Stars for the first time in a competitive fixture.
Kenya face Gambia on Thursday at the 60,000-capacity Stade Allassane Ouattara in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, with kick-off set for 7pm.
The Gambians are hosting the match in Côte d’Ivoire due to a lack of an accredited stadium for international matches.
Four days later, Kenya will return home to host Gabon at Nyayo National Stadium, with the match kicking off at 4pm. The national team is set to depart for Abidjan today.
Bajaber has been in sensational form for Football Kenya Federation Premier League (FKF-PL) leaders Kenya Police since joining from Nairobi City Stars in the January transfer window. The attacking midfielder has netted five goals in five appearances, including three in the league.
He showcased his goal-scoring prowess last weekend, scoring a brace in Police’s commanding 3-0 victory over Murang’a Seal.
“It is an honour to represent the country in such big matches. Scoring would be special to me, but the most important thing is for the team to win. I hope my contribution will be impactful should I be called to duty,” Bajaber told Nation Sport yesterday.
“The coach has great ambitions, and it is good to learn from him, having been a top striker during his playing days,” he added.
Bajaber was previously part of the Kenya squad that competed in the Mapinduzi Cup in Zanzibar earlier this year. McCarthy had named a 49-man provisional squad ahead of the qualifiers, emphasising the need to monitor more players.
Notably, some big names were dropped, including defenders Joseph Okumu and Collins Sichenje, reigning FKF-PL Most Valuable Player Austine Odhiambo, and top scorer Ryan Ogam.
Tusker forward Ogam leads the FKF-PL scoring charts with 15 goals, two ahead of Kakamega Homeboyz’s Moses Shumah, who was also omitted.
Spain-based midfielder Ismael Gonzalez makes a return to the squad after his last appearance for Kenya at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in Egypt. Foreign-based players Eric Johana Omondi, Daniel Francis Anyembe, and Richard Odada will link up with the squad in Abidjan.
Harambee Stars currently sit fourth in Group ‘F’ with five points, having registered one win against Seychelles (5-0), two draws against Côte d’Ivoire (0-0) and Burundi (1-1), and a 2-1 loss to Gabon. Côte d’Ivoire top the group with 10 points.
“I’m thrilled to lead my first two World Cup qualifiers. I’m eager to work with the talented squad I’ve selected for the campaign. There’s plenty of hard work and dedication ahead, but we’re ready to embrace the challenge as a team,” he said.
The winners of each group will qualify directly for the 2026 Fifa World Cup, set to be co-hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
Meanwhile, the four best runners-up across all groups will advance to the Caf Play-off tournament, where the winner will have a final chance to qualify through a Fifa intercontinental playoff.
