Benni McCarthy Clarifies Late Call-Ups to Harambee Stars Squad for CHAN 2024

The South African gaffer handed late Harambee Stars call ups to the likes of Shabana's Austine Odongo and Kenya Police's Marvine Nabwire within the week after not making the initial squad.

Harambee Stars head coach Benni McCarthy has shed light on his decision to hand late national team call-ups to several players, including Shabana's Austine Odongo, as preparations intensify for the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN).

With the final squad set to be announced on July 23, McCarthy has continued to make tactical adjustments, adding new faces to his provisional list. Among the latest additions are Marvine Nabwire and Byrne Omondi, who were initially omitted. 

Their inclusion follows the confirmed unavailability of Emmanuel Osoro and Moses Shumah, both of whom recently completed transfers to Zambian Premier League side Power Dynamos, rendering them ineligible for the local-based CHAN competition.

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The coach has also brought in Felix Oluoch (Posta Rangers), Austine Odongo (Shabana FC), and John Mark Makwatta (Bandari FC) for further evaluation in camp before finalizing the 23-man squad.

McCarthy was forced to ring some of the changes especially following their loss to a Kariobangi Sharks-select outfit in Kasarani.

Friendly Match Sparked Selection Shift

“When you watch players, you assess their quality over several matches before making decisions,” McCarthy explained.

“We had the opportunity to play a friendly match featuring a mix of local league and international players, and a few of them really impressed us.

“ We felt their qualities could be valuable to the squad, even though they hadn't been integrated earlier. It's never too late—if players perform well and appear to be better options than what you have, you make that decision.

“ At the end of the day, it benefits the national team and, ultimately, Kenya. When the best players are available for selection, what better way to build a strong team? Myself and the technical team believe these are players we can integrate into the squad to help us achieve our goals when CHAN begins.”

Eyes on CHAN — and Beyond

McCarthy also emphasized that his selections are not just short-term but part of a broader strategy to strengthen Kenya’s national setup for years to come.

“I've been very impressed by most players in training sessions. These are players for the future. Even if they’re not selected for CHAN now, they’ll be part of the national team moving forward—possibly in upcoming World Cup qualifiers—if they continue to work hard.”

However, the reshuffle has not come without scrutiny. Fans have voiced mixed reactions over the omission of other notable local talents such as Brian Opondo (Tusker FC), Yakeen Mutheli and Staphod Odhiambo (Ulinzi Stars), and Kelly Madada (AFC Leopards), who were dropped from the initial squad.

Kenya will be aiming to make a strong impression at CHAN 2024, with McCarthy focused on building a squad that blends immediate impact with long-term potential.