McDonald Mariga Leads Kenyan Delegation to Europe in Bid to Lure Foreign-Born Players to Harambee Stars

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) has started a charm offensive aimed at luring a number of players born abroad and eligible to play for Kenya.

Kenya has a large pool of players in the diaspora who have Kenyan roots but have not committed their international futures to the country.

There are also those still considering Kenya but are yet to make a decision because they are not convinced by certain aspects and this is among the group that FKF is targeting.

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With Kenya set to co-host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, FKF wants a strong Harambee Stars team that will perform well and given what has been witnessed at past editions, there is no compromise when it comes to quality.

It is with this in mind that FKF has dispatched a team, led by vice president McDonald Mariga, abroad to try and convince the players to commit their international futures to Kenya.

The team also comprises FKF NEC member Yusuf Abdallah as well as Harambee Stars team manager and data analyst Nicodemus Kimanthi and so far, US-born winger Andre Gitau, who plays for German side FSV Mainz 05 II, has been approached.

Gitau, 19, who has represented the US at U16, U17, U18, and U20 levels, has not made a senior appearance for Team USA and is eligible for a Kenyan call-up.

The delegation hopes their efforts will bear fruit with some of those lured set to earn maiden Harambee Stars call-ups for the FIFA Series, a mini-tournament involving Kenya, Estonia and Grenada and Rwanda, set to be played in Kigali from March 23-31.

That will be a moment for coach Benni McCarthy to assess the players and their suitability for his team as he builds towards the AFCON 2027 tournament.