Masoud Juma and Harambee Stars coach Benni McCarthy have a unique understanding that can help unlock Kenya's World Cup dream.
The naming of the Harambee Stars squad on Tuesday for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against The Gambia and Gabon by new Harambee Stars coach Benni McCarthy, was met with mixed reactions.
Big names like Patrick Matasi have been dropped, some juniors like AFC Leopards' Kelly Madada have been handed a spots but one player who is the biggest beneficiary of McCarthy's appointment is Masoud Juma. The pair know each other very well from their time working together in South Africa.
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Masoud Juma played for Benni McCarthy when he coached Cape Town City, joining the team in January 2018 from Kariobangi Sharks after a successful season in the Kenyan Premier League. While he did play for Cape Town City, his time there was relatively brief, and he didn't score any goals under McCarthy's management, although he managed one in Cape Town City colours after making four appearances.
McCarthy coached Cape Town City from 2018 to 2019 and the duo will reunite again at Harambee Stars. Masoud Juma might have an edge over other striking options save for captain Michael Olunga who is a guaranteed starter.
He is part of the 49-member provisional squad set to hit camp for the March fixtures. Juma played briefly for Cape Town City and has since had stints at Dibba Al Furaijah, JS Kablyie, Disa Hassani El Jadidi, Al Faisaly, Al Jabalain and Esteghlal, where he is currently stationed.
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Juma last featured for Harambee Stars in January 2024. He missed majority of the season due to an Achilles tendon injury that required surgery, sidelining the forward for 10 months. He was spotted training with Harambee Stars in last October although he was not included in the squad.
Juma earned a call-up to the Kenya national Under-23 team, in preparation for the 2015 African Games qualifying campaign. However, an injury sustained during a Premier League fixture prevented him from joining the national team.
He then made his senior international debut for Kenya in June 2017, when he was named to the starting XI of a 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against Sierra Leone. He was the subject of severe criticism from the Kenyan fans following his performance, mainly stemming from a missed shot in the early minutes of what eventually ended as a 2–1 loss.
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Critics felt that the starting role should have been given to a more established striker, namely Stephen Waruru (the Premier League's top scorer at the time). Masoud Juma has since raked up 22 Harambee Stars caps, scoring eight goals.