Harambee Stars will be facing Equatorial Guinea in a friendly game today at the Emirhan Sports Stadium, Turkey as Benni McCarthy works on forming a formidable side for future assignments.
This will be the second time both countries will be meeting each other in history with the first and only clash taking place in Kenyatta Stadium, Machakos in May 2018.
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In the first friendly, Stars were under the tutelage of Frenchman Sebastien Migne in what was his second game with the national team having taken over from Paul Put (the current Uganda Cranes head coach); a game he won by a 1-0 margin thanks to a 73rd minute strike by Pistone Mutamba.
Apart from Mutamba, Pepeta takes a look at the squad that represented the nation that day and where they are currently placed.
Harambee Stars Starting Lineup
Patrick Matasi (Kakamega Homeboyz)
The undisputed first choice keeper then at Posta Rangers, the keeper’s career took a nose dive after being implicated in a match fixing scandal which is still under investigation. He remains in the books of Kakamega Homeboyz even though he hasn’t been given a green light by the Football Kenya Federation to play.
Jockins Atudo (Unattached)
Just like Matasi then, Atudo was in the books of Posta Rangers a club that he spent the better part of his swansong at. He continues to be active in Sunday League football.
Musa Mohammed (Posta Rangers)
The captain of the Harambee Stars team that day was unattached when called by Migne. His journey saw him play for Gor Mahia and Kenya Police FC before settling in Rangers where he continues to offer guidance to the young crop of players under Sammy Omollo.
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Joash Onyango (Kenya Police FC)
Joash was in the books of Gor Mahia in 2018 but left for Tanzania where he featured for Simba SC and Singida Black Stars before returning to Kenya earlier in the season where he represents Police.
Eric Ouma (Rakow, Poland)
Ouma was one of the foreign based players called in the team. He remains one of the most dependable players for the national team. He was in the books of KF Tirana in our last meeting with Equatorial Guinea but wont be part of the current team due to an injury.
Philemon Otieno (Gor Mahia)
One of the longest serving players at Gor Mahia, Otieno was deployed as a defensive midfielder in this game and did his work diligently. He is still at Gor Mahia where he is their captain.
Duncan Otieno (Unattached)
The then AFC Leopards captain was one of the most dependable players in the Kenyan top flight then. His exploits saw him move to Botswana where he represented Garobone United but came back in the country to represent Police who let him go in the offseason. He is currently attached to no club.
Whyvonne Isuza(Retired)
Isuza, just like Otieno, represented AFC Leopards then. The playmaker had a decent career but decided to call it a day in 2022 after he was banned by the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK).
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Francis Kahata (Unattached)
Kahata was one of the players who had put Gor Mahia in the spotlight in 2018. His sojourn saw him move to Tanzania’s Simba before returning to represent Police FC who dropped him in the off season. He continues to be linked with a return to football.
Kenneth Muguna (Township Rollers)
Muguna had been lured to Tirana by former Gor Mahia coach Ze Maria and was one of the hottest properties in Kenya then. Since then, he has represented Azam FC of Tanzania, came back to Gor Mahia and featured for Police Fc before moving to Botswana earlier in the year.
Pistone Mutamba (Unattached)
The goal scorer of the day had shone for the Kenyan U23 side and was rewarded by an elevation to the national team where he didn’t disappoint. Mutamba was in the books of the now defunct Wazito FC. Locally, he went on to feature for Bidco United and Sofapaka before sojourns with Libya’s Asswehly and Nepal’s Himalayas.
Substitutes that Day
Boniface Oluoch (Retired), Timothy Odhiambo (Ulinzi Stars), Bolton Omwenga (Unattached), Harun Shakava (Retired), Vincent Wasambo (Posta Rangers), Jafari Owiti (Unattached), Chrispin Oduor (Retired), Humphrey Mieno (KCB FC), Ovella Ochieng (Nairobi United), Patilah Omotto (Kariobangi Sharks), Mike Kibwage (Gor Mahia), Johnstone Omurwa (KACM Marrakech)
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