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New faces in McCarthy’s squad for Equatorial Guinea, Senegal friendlies
Harambee Stars coach Benni McCarthy conducts a training session at at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani in Nairobi on August 16, 2025.
What you need to know:
- Kenya will play the two friendlies in Antalya, Turkey, during the Fifa international break between November 10 and 18.
- The two matches have replaced another two that Kenya had lined up against Madagascar and Comoros.
Harambee Stars coach Benni McCarthy has called up goalkeeper Brian Opondo and defender Kevin Otiende to the squad that will play Equatorial Guinea and Senegal in international friendly matches.
Opondo and Otiende have been handed their first call-ups to the senior team, having been promoted from the Kenya Under 20 team, Rising Stars.
The squad called up for the two friendlies also includes goalkeepers Bryne Omondi and Brian Bwire. Opondo was named in the Kenyan squad for 2024 African Nations Championship squad, but did not get playing time.
McCarthy has also called up defenders Kevin Otiende (Nairobi United), Bryton Onyona (Gor Mahia), and attacker Sharriff Musa (Gor Mahia) to the team.
Kenya will play the two friendly matches in Antalya, Turkey, during the Fifa international break between November 10 and 18.
The two matches have replaced another two that Kenya had lined up against Madagascar and Comoros.
Kenya will first face Equatorial Guinea on November 14 at Emir Complex Stadium in Antalya from 6pm (Kenyan time), followed by a match against Senegal four days later at Mardan Stadium. The team reports to camp tomorrow, and will leave for Turkey on Wednesday.
Harambee Stars head coach Benni McCarthy conducts a training session at Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi on August 21, 2025.
Coach McCarthy has also called up defenders Sylvester Owino, Alphonce Omija, Michael Kibwage, Ronney Onyango, Kevin Otiende, and Baron Ochieng. Midfielders in the team are Alpha Onyango, Duke Abuya, Timothy Ouma, and Marvin Nabwire.
Kenya’s attack options in the squad are Austine Odhiambo, William Lenkupae, Job Ochieng, Boniface Muchiri, Aldrine Kibet, Ovellah Ochieng, Jonah Ayunga, Ryan Ogam, Lawrence Okoth, and Sharif Musa.
Sharif and Ovellah return after a long absence. Kibet, who plays for Celta Vigo in Spain, also receives his first senior team call-up after graduating from the Under-20 team.
Equatorial Guinea and Senegal will use these matches to prepare for 2025 Afcon, which will be held from December 21, 2025 to January 27, 2026 in Morocco.
Senegal, coached by Pape Thiaw, will face Brazil in another friendly match in London on November 15 before playing Kenya.
The squad boasts stars, among them former Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, ex-Liverpool striker Sadio Mane, Nicolas Jackson who is on loan at Bayern Munich from Chelsea, and former Chelsea striker Kalidou Koulibaly.
Guinea is in Group “E” of 2025 Afcon alongside Algeria, Burkina Faso, and Sudan, while Senegal is in Group “D” along with the Democratic Republic of Congo, Benin, and Botswana.
Kenya did not qualify for the tournament, having finished third in Group “J” with six points behind Cameroon and Zimbabwe, who advanced. Kenya is now focusing on preparations for 2027 Afcon, which the country will co-host with Uganda, and Tanzania.
