Defender Zak Vyner and midfielder Zech Obiero, who are all based in England, are the newcomers in coach Benni McCarthy 23-man Harambee Stars squad for the 2026 Fifa World Series from March 23 to 31.
Kenya have been placed in Group 'A’ with hosts Rwanda, European nation Estonia, and Caribbean Island nation Grenada.
While naming the squad on Friday evening, Football Kenya Federation (FKF) said that Harambee Stars will enter residential training camp on March 22, and leave for the tournament in Kigali two days later.
The Fifa Series is aimed at facilitating meaningful international friendly matches between national teams from different confederations that would not normally compete against one another, thereby supporting football development both on and off the pitch, the world governing body said on its website https://www.fifa.com.
The 2026 edition of this initiative will feature 48 national teams – representing almost a quarter of Fifa’s 211 Member Associations – competing in 12 groups of four teams each.
Eleven Fifa Member Associations will host the series, with Rwanda staging two groups. Nine groups will feature men’s national teams and three will involve women’s national teams, with all six confederations represented.
Kenya will open their campaign against Estonia on March 27 at Amahoro Stadium in Kigali from 6pm (Kenyan time). Later that day at 9pm, Rwanda will face Grenada at the same venue.
Harambee Stars players during training at Lycee Classique Cocody, in Abidjan on October 12.
Photo credit: File| Nation Media Group
The winners of the two matches will face off in the final on March 30 at the same venue from 9pm. The final will be preceded by the third-place play-off match between the losers of the two fixtures from at 6pm.
Vyner, 28 and Obiero, 21, are among several players of Kenyan descent in England who met this week with a Kenyan delegation to discuss the possibility of them committing their international future to the Harambee Stars.
The Kenyan delegation included FKF vice president McDonald Mariga, National Executive Committee (NEC) member Yusuf Abdalla, Harambee Stars coach Benni McCarthy, and the team’s manager Nick Kimanthi.
Born to a Kenyan mother and British father in Southwark, England, Vyner currently plays for Wrexham Association Football Club in the English Football League (EFL) Championship. The EFL Championship is the second tier league in England after the English Premier League.
Obiero is currently on loan at EFL League Two side Tranmere Rovers from Leyton Orient Football Club. Kenya hopes to assemble a formidable squad for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations finals by recruiting many of the players of Kenyan descent who are based in Europe.
Out of the 23 players, 16 are foreign-based while the rest ply their trade locally. Some of the other notable inclusions are Clarke Oduor, Job Ochieng and Mohammed Bajaber.
Bajaber failed to make the Harambee Stars squad for the 2024 African Nations Championship (Chan) held in August due to injury. He has yet to feature for the national team since then.
Ochieng has been instrumental for Real Sociedad “B” in the Segunda Division. He has also played for Real Sociedad in the Spanish La Liga.
Goalkeepers: Byrne Omondi (Gor Mahia), Brian Bwire (Polokwane City, South Africa) and Ian Otieno (Richards Bay, South Africa).
Defenders: Frank Odhiambo (Gor Mahia), Abud Omar (Kenya Police), Sylvester Owino (Gor Mahia), Zak Vyner (Wrexham, England), Rooney Onyango (Sogndal, Norway), Daniel Sakari (Kenya Police).
Midfielders: Alpha Onyango (Gor Mahia), Duke Abuya (Yanga, Tanzania), Richard Odada (FC Uta Arad, Romania), Chris Erambo (Tusker FC), Manzur Suleiman (Stade de Reims, France).
Forwards: Austine Odhiambo (Nejmeh, Lebanon), Willaim Lenkupae (unattached), Job Ochieng (Real Sociedad, Spain), Mohammed Bajaber (Simba FC, Tanzania), Zech Obiero (Tranmere Rovers, England), Clarke Oduor (Grimsby Town, England), Michael Olunga (Al Arabi, Qatar), Ryan Ogam (Wolfsberger, Australia) and Lawrence Okoth (SJK Seinajoki, Finland).
