Michael Olunga: Why Harambee Stars Captain Might Miss FIFA Series Against Estonia, Grenada and Rwanda

Harambee Stars captain Michael Olunga could be about to miss a series of friendly matches for the national team not due to his own making but by circumstances.

Kenya are set to feature in the FIFA Series, where they are in Group A alongside Estonia, Grenada and hosts Rwanda, with the matches set to be played in Kigali from March 23-31, 2026.

However, Olunga might not be available if the security situation in the Middle East does not improve soon as Israel, backed by the United States, continues its airstrikes on Iran, which has retaliated by hitting Gulf states that are friendly to the two.

PAY ATTENTION: Follow us on Google News, Stay informed with Latest Sport News

A wide corridor of airspace over the Middle East remains closed since Saturday as countries neighboring Iran restrict flights in and out of the region with Qatar, where Olunga lives and plays for Al-Arabi, among those affected. Already, the Qatar Stars League is indefinitely suspended.

Other countries include the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Israel, Bahrain and Iraq where the skies remained nearly empty on Monday while Jordan has partially closed its airspace from 6pm to 7am until further notice.

Qatar Airways flights to and from Doha’s Hamad International Airport have also been suspended due to the closure of Qatari airspace and with the conflict expanding with renewed strikes, it appears unlikely to be safe for flights to resume.

That puts into doubt Olunga’s participation in the FIFA Series as he is among key players for coach Benni McCarthy given his understudy Ryan Ogam is hardly playing at his Austrian club Wolfsberger AC.

Olunga is likely to be among the players called up for the three matches but if the security situation in the Middle East escalates, he might be forced to miss the matches as there would be no flights out of Qatar for him to honour the national team commitments.

That would be the second international window in a row that Olunga would be missing as he was not called up for the matches against Equatorial Guinea, which Kenya lost 1-0, as well as the 8-0 thrashing by African champions Senegal last November.

Olunga last played for Harambee Stars in the World Cup qualifiers against Burundi and Ivory Coast in October where he made the starting XI.

Missing the upcoming matches would deny him an opportunity to make history as he is currently joint second on Kenya’s all-time top scorer’s list with 34 goals, same as Dennis Oliech, just one behind William Ouma, who holds the record.