Harambee Stars’ final 25-man squad for the 2024 African Nations Championship announced by Benni McCarthy on Wednesday evening represents a change in generations as players born in the 2000s prepare to make their first appearance at a major tournament for Kenya.
The squad will also be the first that Kenya is sending to a major tournament without a player born in the 1980s, representing a change of guard at the national team as McCarthy looks to the future.
Kenya will co-host the 2024 Chan with Tanzania and Uganda from August 2- 30. The tournament is the first major Caf competition that Kenya is hosting. The country was stripped of the right to host the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2018 Chan because of inadequate preparations.
Kenya captain and Police FC defender Aboud Omar, Bandari goalkeeper Faruk Shikhalo, and forward Masoud Juma, who McCarthy recently confirmed has joined a second-tier club, are the squad’s most experienced players.
Omar, 32, is also the team’s oldest player. No other player in the squad is above 20 years old, a fact that contributes to the squad having an average age of 25.7 years.
The other defenders in the squad are Alphonce Omija (Gor Mahia), Daniel Sakari (Kenya Police), Kevin Okumu (KCB), Lewis Bandi (AFC Leopards), Manzur Suleiman (KCB), Mike Kibwage (Tusker), Pamba Swaleh (Bandari), Siraj Mohammed (Bandari), and Sylvester Owino (Gor Mahia).
Shikhalo, 28, was an understudy to Patrick Matasi at Afcon 2019, together with John Oyemba. They will fight for the number one jersey with Byrne Omondi, 28 years, and Kariobangi Sharks’ Sepstianos Wekesa, 25.
Kenya coach Benni McCarthy at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi before the team’s departure to Arusha on July 19, 2025.
Photo credit: Courtesy of FKF
The inclusion of Juma, 29, will see him reunite with McCarthy, who was his coach at South African club Cape Town City FC in 2018.
The other forwards in the squad are fan favourite Mohammed Bajaber of Police, Shaban’s Austin Odongo, Ulinzi Stars’ Boniface Muchiri, David Sakwa of Bandari, Felix Oluoch of Posta Rangers, and Tusker hitman Ryan Ogam.
Interestingly, Boniface Muchiri is the only player in the Harambee Stars squad who is likely to celebrate his birthday during the tournament. However, Kenya will have to reach at least the semi-finals for him to experience that moment. Muchiri will turn 29 on August 28.
Harambee Stars’ midfield is drawn from the 2024-25 FKF Premier League champions, Kenya Police, and last season’s runners-up, Gor Mahia.
It is in the frame of Police duo Brian Musa and Marvin Nabwire and the K’Ogalo trio of Alpha Onyango, Austin Odhiambo, and Ben Stanley Omondi.
Bandari, Gor Mahia, and Kenya Police are also the clubs with the most number of players in McCarthy’s squad, with five representatives each.
AFC Leopards, Kariobangi Sharks, Posta Rangers, Shabana, and Ulinzi Stars have one player each.
KCB defender Manzur Suleiman and Shabana attacker Austin Odongo will be the only teenagers in the squad. The pair are in line to become the first teenagers to play for Harambee Stars at a major tournament since the legendary Dennis Oliech turned out at the 2004 Afcon aged 19.
Suleiman turned 19 on March 23 when he made his Harambee Stars debut against Gabon in a 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifier, which Kenya lost 2-1. Odongo is 19.
Suleiman is also the only player from the Kenya Under-20 squad that competed at the 2025 Afcon Under-20 held in Egypt to make McCarthy's Chan squad.
His selection gives him the unique distinction of being the first player this century to represent Kenya in continental football at junior and senior levels.
Odongo’s call-up, on the other hand, serves as redemption for the youngster after he missed out on Kenya’s 2025 Afcon U-20 squad.
He completed the 2024-25 FKF Premier League season with seven goals to his name and earned his place in the team following the withdrawals of Emmanuel Osoro and Moses Shumah after they signed for Zambian club Power Dynamos, hence rendering them ineligible to represent Kenya at the 2024 Chan.
Shumah clinched the 2024-25 FKF Premier League Golden Boot with 17 goals, with Osoro finishing the season on 16 strikes.
Interestingly, Kenya and in the same Group “A” with Zambia.
Other nations in the group are Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Morocco.
DR Congo (Chan 2009 and 2016) and Morocco (Chan 2018 and 2020) are two-time winners of the competition, while Angola were runners-up in 2011.
