Olunga leads foreign legion into Harambee Stars camp ahead of Iran clash

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FOOTBALL Olunga leads foreign legion into Harambee Stars camp ahead of Iran clash

Festus Chuma 17:30 - 21.03.2023

Qatar-based Olunga, Denmark based Anyembe and Zesco shot stopper Otieno have joined the camp.

The arrival of foreign-based players into Harambee Stars camp on Tuesday morning lifted spirits as Kenya's national football team brace for Sunday’s departure to Tehran for an international friendly against Iran.

Free-scoring Michael Olunga, Denmark-based Daniel Anyembe and Zesco United shot-stopper Ian Otieno joined the other foreign players in Erick Ouma, Brian Mandela, Richard Odada, Johnstone Omurwa, Collins Shichenje, Alfred Scriven and Keneth Muguna in Coach Engin Firat’s training that is largely made up of locally based players.

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Belgium-based Joseph Okumu is expected to jet into the country on Tuesday night, same for Amos Nondi, who plays for Armenia’s side Armenia and Slovenia-based Wilkims Ochieng, who plays for FC Koper.

Okumu, who made his Harambee Stars debut in 2016, has featured over ten times for the national team and looks set to star in defence ahead of next Wednesday’s high-profile friendly.

KAA Gent defender has joined Harambee Stars camp

The 23-year-old KAA Gent star was recently sidelined with a calf injury but returned against Eupen on Sunday, where he found the back of the net in their 3-0 victory in the domestic league.

Kenya was set to play Burundi on March 25 and 28, but the match was aborted, forcing the Football Kenya Federation to source another nation after being out of the cold for one year.

Coach Firat has already hinted that Harambee Stars will play more international friendlies in preparation for challenging fixtures in future.

“It is important to keep the team engaged and to keep working so that we can play at a good level when we return,” he said.

Harambee Stars will play the Islamic Republic of Iran in an international friendly on March 28 in Tehran.

This will be the third time that Harambee Stars will face Team Melli, with the first being a friendly match in April 1977 when the Stars went down 3-1.

The second meeting between the two sides was in 2009 in Tehran, where Harambee Stars lost narrowly to the host with a 1-0 defeat.

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