Harambee Stars’ coach is optimistic about the CHAN

Francis Kimanzi, the interim coach of Harambee Stars, is confident that his squad is equipped with sufficient homegrown potential to deliver an exceptional performance at the upcoming 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN).

Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania are the three East African countries that will host the four-week tournament, which is scheduled to take place from February 1 to 28.

Kimanzi stated, “We are confident in our ability to compete and deliver a strong performance during the tournament, as we have a number of young local players in our squad.”

Kenya is currently engaged in the ongoing Mapinduzi Cup in Zanzibar. Two games have been played by Kimanzi’s team, including a 1-1 stalemate against Burkina Faso on Saturday and a 2-0 victory over Tanzania. In their subsequent examination, they will face Zanzibar, their hosts, on Friday.

Kimanzi regards the tournament as an essential opportunity for the evaluation of players and the advancement of the team. Therefore, in order to provide a diverse array of local talents with the chance to demonstrate their abilities, he has rotated players during the previous two matches.

“We are still in the very early stages of testing the players, and we want to build a team that is highly competitive,” according to him.

“Initially, it is imperative that we continue our preparation by participating in numerous friendly games.” We anticipate that the Mapinduzi Cup will provide us with a wealth of knowledge, and the athletes have been making significant progress.

Kimanzi has observed encouraging signs, despite the team’s early phases of development.

He is committed to enhancing the squad’s mental fortitude and fostering unity as they prepare for the obstacles that await them at CHAN.

“The Mapinduzi Cup games are enabling us to further develop the strong character that players are exhibiting.” He stated, “Our objective is to enhance the team’s mental resilience, and we are dedicated to doing so with each game.”

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.