Harambee Stars: 5 Big Names Benni McCarthy is Set to Miss Due to Injuries

Harambee Stars coach Benni McCarthy is readying himself for the upcoming 2027 Africa Cup of Nations but his selection has been affected by injuries to key players.

McCarthy named his provisional squad for the matches against Eritrea and Guinea on September 26 and October 1 respectively and at the time, he was forced to exclude some players due to injuries.

Now, even before he settles on his final squad, his choices are thinning as more players suffer setbacks on the pitch.

Ahead of the 2027 AFCON qualifiers, Pulse Sports highlights the big names who McCarthy will not rely on due to injuries.

The defender last played for Harambee Stars during the World Cup qualifier against Ivory Coast last October and it looks like he will not be donning the national team shirt for nearly one year.

Sichenje suffered a season-ending knee injury while featuring for his club Charlton Athletic on August 26 and the English Championship side confirmed that he will be out for the whole campaign after undergoing surgery, ruling him out of the AFCON qualifiers, and potentially the tournament.

Midfielder Richard Odada is also another long-term injury absentee who McCarthy will not be relying on in the qualifiers.

Odada sustained a fracture to the right fibula during his Romanian club ATA Urad’s match in August and was ruled out for six months although the injury did not need surgery.

He is expected to be back early next year, giving him a chance to be available for AFCON 2027.

Another player who will not be available until next year is striker Jonah Ayunga, who suffered an ACL injury in April, while turning out for his Scottish club St Mirren.

The 29-year-old striker has been a constant presence in the national team, mostly being used off the bench, but McCarthy will have to do with other options during the key qualification phase.

Defender Sylvester Owino is another one not available for the first two qualifiers as he works his way back from a muscle injury sustained during the CECAFA Kagame Cup tournament in Rwanda in July.

The centre-back is getting back into shape but the Eritrea and Guinea games will come too soon for him which forced the Harambee Stars coach to call up other players.

The latest to be added on the injury list, midfielder Zech Obiero suffered a worrying injury on Saturday on his debut for his new English League Two club Gillingham.

Obiero was stretched off after just 14 minutes on the pitch and his coach later confirmed that he suffered a hamstring injury.

Although the extent of his injury has not been revealed, a hamstring injury can take between two and eight weeks to recovery from and that puts his chances of featuring against Eritrea and Guinea in jeopardy.