Benni McCarthy Explains Why Richard Odada Remains Vital to Harambee Stars Amid Dundee Exit

Benni McCarthy has explained the reason behind including Richard Odada in the Harambee Stars squad ahead of the 2026 World Cup qualifier matches against The Gambia and Seychelles.

Harambee Stars are scheduled to clash against The Gambia on Friday, September 5 and later lock horns with Seychelles on September 9.

Richard Odada's inclusion in the squad has been met with criticism since he had not featured for his Scottish club, Dundee United, since the season started.

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Upon joining the club, Richard Odada made only three league starts in his 13 appearances for Dundee United and was on loan to Serbian side OFK Beograd from February to the end of the 2024-25 season. He has since left Dundee United, and as things stand, he is a free agent.

Benni McCarthy revealed that Richard Odada has been a very instrumental player since he became Harambee Stars’ head coach.

He disclosed that despite not getting playing time and eventually exiting the club, Richard Odada is one of the most experienced midfielders.

Since Harambee Stars have limited choices when it comes to midfielders, Benni McCarthy insisted that Richard Odada is the perfect fit. He added that Odada has been putting in the work and is ready to impress on D-Day.

“I think Richard has been a crucial player since I started…he has played every game and done exceptionally well, so yeah. He has gone back to his club in Scotland, Dundee United, and I know it is very competitive, so he is a player who has been in a competitive league,” Benni McCarthy revealed.

“He can bring a lot of quality to what we have, and he is a talented midfield player. At the moment, we don’t have a lot of those and the one we had, Brian Musa, was injured during CHAN, so you have to play box-to-box midfielders.

“Richard is that player, and why would I not pick him, whether he has not featured as much as he would want at the start of the season, but he has been active.”

As reported by The Courier, Richard Odada has left Dundee United by mutual consent, bringing an end to his time at the club.

The 24-year-old Kenyan international joined Dundee United last summer on a two-year contract from Philadelphia Union. However, he struggled to adapt to the pace of Scottish football, making just 13 appearances for the team.

Richard Odada spent the latter half of last season on loan with Serbian top-flight side OFK Beograd but was unable to secure a regular spot in their lineup.

Despite participating in Dundee United's pre-season, often as a makeshift centre-back, Richardon Odada was excluded from the Tangerines' European squad and informed he was not part of the club's plans.

He attracted interest from Serbian club Novi Pazar, as well as teams in the United Soccer League in America and in Greece, but none of these options proved suitable. Richard Odada will now seek a new club as a free agent.