Kenya Faces Rwanda in International Friendly
Benni McCarthy’s first full international window in charge of Kenya is about to get busy. Very busy.
Harambee Stars will now face Rwanda in an international friendly on Monday, 5 October, rounding off a three-game schedule that already includes two crucial 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Three games, three tests
Kenya open their AFCON campaign at home to Eritrea on Saturday, 26 September at Nyayo National Stadium, before flying out to face Guinea on Thursday, 1 October. Those two fixtures will shape the early tone of their qualifying push.
Rwanda then await in Kigali.
The friendly at Amahoro Stadium will hand McCarthy extra time on the pitch with his squad, a rare luxury in international football and a timely one as he tries to stamp his ideas on a group that is being quietly reshaped.
Rwanda’s Amavubi will arrive at that game with their own legs tested. They host Liberia in Kigali on Friday, 25 September, then travel to meet 2026 FIFA World Cup debutants Cape Verde, before closing their three-week FIFA window against Kenya.
For both teams, that final match is more than a formality. It’s the last look before the next competitive stretch.
Camp opens, competition starts
Harambee Stars reported to camp on Tuesday morning, with McCarthy immediately thrown into preparation mode for a schedule that leaves little room to breathe. He gets only a few days with his players before Eritrea come to Nairobi, then it’s straight into travel, recovery, and another hostile away assignment in Guinea.
Only after that will the focus swing to Rwanda and the chance to tweak, rotate and experiment.
New faces, big returns
The squad list underlines that this is not just another routine window.
Defender Hannif Wesonga and full-back Vincent Harper are back in the fold, while Amos Wanjala has been rewarded with a call-up. Gor Mahia forward Shariff Musa, sharp in pre-season, has also forced his way into the group.
There is a nod to the future too. Young winger Javan Ochieng has been summoned as he chases a senior international debut, a clear sign that McCarthy is willing to open the door to emerging talent.
At the other end of the spectrum, captain Michael Olunga returns after injury, restoring a focal point in attack and leadership in the dressing room just as competitive action ramps up.
Kenya squad in full
- Goalkeepers: Byrne Omondi (Gor Mahia), Faruk Shikhalo (Nairobi United), Brian Bwire (Tusker).
- Defenders: Michael Kibagwe (Gor Mahia), Rooney Onyango (Sogndal), Hannif Wesonga (Jamus), Stanley Wilson (AIK), Abud Omar (Tusker), Amos Wanjala (Valencia), Frank Odhiambo (Gor Mahia), Vincent Harper (Exeter City).
- Midfielders: Manzur Okwaro (Stade Reims), Timothy Ouma (Charlton Athletic), Chris Erambo (Tusker), Duke Abuya (Young Africans), Marvin Nabwire (Power Dynamos).
- Forwards: Sharif Musa (Gor Mahia), Mohammed Bajaber (unattached), Ben Stanley (Gor Mahia), Job Ochieng (Real Sociedad), Javan Ochieng (Hickory FC), Micah Obiero (Carlisle United), Ryan Ogam (RFC Liège), Michael Olunga (Al-Arabi).
Three matches. One window. A new coach, a refreshed squad, and early answers coming fast for Harambee Stars.
