Benni McCarthy Defends Unattached Mohammed Bajaber’s Harambee Stars Call-Up Ahead of AFCON 2027 Qualifiers: ‘An Unbelievable Professional’

Harambee Stars head coach Benni McCarthy has launched a defense of attacking midfielder Mohammed Bajaber, insisting that the forward's current clubless status is no barrier to his inclusion in the national squad for the upcoming 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.

Bajaber, who recently parted ways with Tanzanian Premier League giants Simba SC, entered the national team camp as a free agent, sparking a debate regarding his match sharpness and physical conditioning.

However, speaking during a press conference in Nairobi ahead of Kenya’s opening Group D fixture against Eritrea, McCarthy forcefully dismissed concerns over the player's readiness, pointing to Bajaber's legendary work ethic off the pitch as proof of his elite physical shape.

The former UEFA Champions League winner made it clear that Mohammed Bajaber’s dedication to personal fitness sets him apart from many domestic players who are actively attached to clubs.

Refusing to judge the skillful playmaker by his lack of a club contract, Benni McCarthy highlighted Bajaber's relentless routine in his personal time.

"His fitness levels are the same as the Kenyan players who play in the league and I don’t have a problem. He is an unbelievable professional and you’ll find him in the gym during his spare time. That’s the one player that doesn’t need to be told what to do. When some players are playing cards, you’ll find him in the gym or Sauna working on how he can improve himself. Just because he is not attached, he is one of the best Kenyan players that is out here. His fitness levels are probably above majority of the team that is local," Benni McCarthy said.

The head coach believes that self-motivated preparation outweighs mere club affiliation, particularly when a player possesses technical quality capable of helping the team.

The decision to retain Mohammed Bajaber in the Harambee Stars squad reflects Benni McCarthy’s broader philosophy regarding selection criteria. For the South African manager, discipline, self-care, and tactical execution carry far more weight than external circumstances.

Since leaving Simba SC, Bajaber has maintained an individualised training regimen designed to keep him fit. Bajaber's versatility across the attacking third provides Harambee Stars with options, whether deployed as an inverted winger or operating behind a central striker.

Beyond individual player dynamics, Benni McCarthy also addressed the overarching challenge awaiting Harambee Stars in Group D of the AFCON 2027 qualifiers. Kenya has been drawn alongside West African heavyweights Guinea, southern African powerhouses South Africa, and Eritrea.

While Kenya has already secured automatic qualification for AFCON 2027 as co-hosts alongside Uganda and Tanzania, Benni McCarthy emphasised that the team refuses to treat these qualifying fixtures as mere exhibition matches.

Assessing the competitive strength of their group opponents, McCarthy laid out Kenya's target.

"We want to be at least first or second in the group…the group is tough because Guinea has very good and established international players, South Africa have proven themselves, from the AFCON last year and getting out of the group stage at the World Cup. They have done well so we have two top tier teams in our group and Eritrea and us are more or less on the same wavelength. But we have our mission as a team and we just don’t want to be just a number and show the world that we deserve to be there,” he said.