Harambee Stars interim coach Francis Kimanzi believes that he has enough homegrown talent in his squad to put on a great show in the forthcoming 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN).
Kenya is among three East African countries, alongside Uganda and Tanzania, which will host the four-week tournament slated for February 1-28.
"We have young local players in the squad so we know that we will be able to compete and put on a good show during the tournament” Kimanzi said.
Kenya is participating in the ongoing Mapinduzi Cup in Zanzibar. Kimanzi’s side has played two game so far including Saturday’s 1-1 draw against Burkina Faso and a 2-0 victory over Tanzania. Their next test will be against hosts Zanzibar on Friday.
Kimanzi views the tournament as a crucial opportunity for player assessment and team development. For that reason, he rotated players during the past two matches to give a broad spectrum of local-based talents the opportunity to prove themselves.
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"We are still in the very early stages of testing the players, and we want to build a team that is highly competitive," he added.
"First we need to continue preparing well with many friendly games. During the Mapinduzi Cup, we hope to learn a lot and players have been progressing well.”
Despite the early stages of the team&039;s development, Kimanzi has seen encouraging signs.
He remains focused on refining the squad’s mental strength and ensuring that the team grows together as they prepare for the challenges ahead at CHAN.
"We are seeing players display strong character, and these games in the Mapinduzi Cup are helping us build that further. We aim to see better mental resilience, and we are committed to improving the team with every game," he noted.
Harambee Stars squad for CHAN 2024
Goalkeepers: Byrne Odhiambo, Faruk Shikalo, Sepstanious Wekesa.
Defenders: Sylvester Owino, Hanif Wesonga, Alphonce Omija, Brian Okoth, Abud Omar, Siraj Mohammed, Ronney Onyango, Daniel Sakari.
Midfielders: Michael Mutinda, Chrispine Erambo, Brian Musa, Kelly Madada, Austine Odhiambo, Kenneth Muguna, Ben Stanley Omondi, Mohammed Bajaber, Boniface Muchiri, Darius Msagah, James Kinyanjui.
Forwards: Moses Shumah, Ryan Ogam.