Harambee Stars local technician Stanley Okumbi expects foreign-based players in camp starting tomorrow, Thursday 1st of June 2017 as preparations intensify ahead of 2019 Africa Cup of Nations first leg cracker against Sierra Leone less than a fortnight.
Skipper and Tottenham Hotspur anchorman Victor Wanyama top the list of 13 foreign players, who are expected for the assignment alongside China-based striker Michael Olunga.
Okumbi’s first task in the qualifiers will be away to Sierra Leone on June 10th and others clustered in Group F are Ethiopia’s Walya Antelopes, and group favourite on paper Ghana Black Stars.
Currently, locally based players called up a few weeks ago by the coach are in camp in Machakos.
The Kenyans will arrive in Freetown on the 8th June 2017 with a 31-man delegation and they will depart next day the 11th June 2017.
Meanwhile, the Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) has designated Nigeria quartet to officiate the encounter in Freetown.
Referee, Ferdinand Udoh Aniete, will be at the centre to be assisted by Tejiri Digbori and Abdulmajeed Olaide as Assistant 1 & 2 respectively.
Born in 1987, Aniete joined the Kwara State Referee Association in 1999 and became a grade one referee in 2005 before he acquired his world football governing body, FIFA-badge in 2013.
Udoh Aniete was the best referee of the 33 referees drawn from all over Africa that took part in the CAF Young Talent Referees Course held in Cairo, Egypt in 2013.
In 2015, he officiated the final match of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) Super 4 Pre-season Invitational tournament and was recently in charge of Mali vs. Tanzania match at the CAF U-17 AFCON.
Benjamin Ekabatiem Ekabatiem is the fourth official whiles Karim Alem from Morocco will serve as the match commissioner.
Harambee Stars coach Stanley Okumbi’s selected 13 foreign-based players below.
Abud Omar (Slava Sofia, Bulgaria), Agay Anthony Akumu (Zesco, Zambia), Ayub Masika Timbe (Beijing Renhe, China), David Ochieng (New York Cosmos, USA), Erick Ouma (Kolkheti Poti, Georgia), Erick Johanna (Vasalunds IF, Sweden), Jackson Jesse Were (Zesco, Zambia), Johanna Omollo (Royal Antwerp, Belgium), Joseph Okumu (Free State Stars, South Africa), Odhiambo David Owino (Zesco, Zambia), Ogada Michael Olunga (Guizhou Zhicheng, China), Onyango Brian Mandela (Maritzburg, South Africa), Victor Wanyama (Tottenham Hotspurs, England)
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