Dennis Oliech Proven Right as Michael Olunga’s Harambee Stars Omission Comes Back to Bite Benni McCarthy v Senegal

Harambee Stars head coach Benni McCarthy was brutally punished for his brave decision to drop experienced players like Michael Olunga for their recent international games against Equatorial Guinea and Senegal in Turkey.

Stars displayed a good performance against Equatorial Guinea, but just could not capitalise on their chances, losing 1-0. However, it got even worse against Senegal, who whitewashed them 8-0 four days later, which has now put McCarthy under serious scrutiny.

Before the side jetted out to Turkey,  the move to drop Olunga was  publicly questioned by former Kenyan international Dennis Oliech, who believes the team's leading goalscorer should have been included.

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"Olunga deserves to be in the Harambee Stars squad," Oliech stated, as quoted by Flashscore. "The coach doesn’t have the right to leave Olunga out because he is the captain and the best striker for Kenya."

Oliech argued that Olunga's presence is crucial for mentoring the younger players in the squad, regardless of whether he starts the matches.

"Until Olunga says, 'I have retired,' he should not be left out of the squad," Oliech continued. "Having Olunga in the team, with all his experience, motivates the young players."

He expressed concern that the inexperienced squad, which is traveling to Turkey for the matches, will feel an immense weight of expectation without senior figures to guide them.

Against Senegal, McCarthy opted to hand Baron Ochieng and Bryton Onyona their debuts at full back, and it was a gamble that failed massively, as Nicolas Jackson, Sadio Mane and Ismaila Sarr toyed with them all afternoon, which Oliech had expressed concern against.

"It is unfortunate that Kenya is going to Turkey without experienced players. The young players will feel burdened," he added at the time.

 "If you have experienced players, they don't necessarily have to start. They can come off the bench and make a huge impact, which is a big motivation for the younger talent."

Oliech concluded by emphasising the forward's continued importance to the national setup. "This is how young players learn—from someone experienced. For me, I still believe Olunga is part and parcel of the national team and should not be ignored."

In Olunga’s absence, Jonah Ayunga was given the nod to start upfront, and although he produced a good display against Equatorial Guinea with his hold up play, he missed a lot of good chances.

As backlash grows, McCarthy now faces the massive task of restoring belief and proving that his long-term rebuild can withstand the consequences of leaving out one of Kenya’s most influential footballers.