Kenya Adds Rwanda Friendly to Packed International Schedule

Kenya’s Harambee Stars have crammed a third fixture into an already heavy international window, confirming a friendly against Rwanda on Monday, 5 October.

Benni McCarthy’s side were already staring at two crucial 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying ties. They host Eritrea at Nyayo National Stadium on Saturday, 26 September, then fly out to face Guinea on Thursday, 1 October. Now comes Rwanda in Kigali to round it all off.

For McCarthy, the extra game is no distraction. It’s another 90 minutes to test ideas, stretch legs and sharpen combinations before the AFCON campaign gathers real pace. The Rwanda clash will be staged at Amahoro Stadium, a familiar, unforgiving arena for visiting sides.

Rwanda’s Amavubi will arrive at that fixture battle-hardened as well. They open their own AFCON push at home to Liberia in Kigali on Friday, 25 September, then head out to meet 2026 FIFA World Cup debutants Cape Verde. Kenya will be their final assignment of a three‑week FIFA window that could define their momentum for the year.

Harambee Stars reported to camp on Tuesday morning, bracing for the sprint. McCarthy has only a handful of sessions before Eritrea land in Nairobi. Once that first whistle goes at Nyayo, the schedule turns relentless: recovery, travel to Guinea, another high‑stakes qualifier, then straight into preparations for Rwanda.

Squad Overview

The squad list underlines the sense of renewal and opportunity.

There is experience returning. Hannif Wesonga and Vincent Harper are back in the fold, while captain Michael Olunga has rejoined the group after shaking off injury, a major boost for Kenya’s cutting edge in the final third.

There is also fresh blood. Amos Wanjala earns a call-up, rewarded for his progress with Valencia. Gor Mahia forward Shariff Musa has forced his way in off the back of eye‑catching pre‑season form. Young winger Javan Ochieng, of Hickory FC, has been handed a first senior invitation and will chase a debut under the glare of competitive international football.

Between the posts, McCarthy turns to Byrne Omondi (Gor Mahia), Faruk Shikhalo (Nairobi United) and Brian Bwire (Tusker). The defensive unit mixes local and foreign-based talent: Michael Kibagwe and Frank Odhiambo from Gor Mahia, Rooney Onyango of Sogndal, Wesonga of Jamus, Stanley Wilson of AIK, Abud Omar and Chris Erambo from Tusker, Wanjala from Valencia, and Harper from Exeter City.

Midfield carries a modern, continental flavour. Manzur Okwaro (Stade Reims), Timothy Ouma (Charlton Athletic), Duke Abuya (Young Africans) and Marvin Nabwire (Power Dynamos) join Tusker’s Erambo in the engine room, tasked with knitting together a side that must both create and protect across three games in quick succession.

Up front, McCarthy has options. Beyond Olunga and Musa, the forward line includes Mohammed Bajaber (unattached), Ben Stanley (Gor Mahia), Job Ochieng (Real Sociedad), Javan Ochieng (Hickory FC), Micah Obiero (Carlisle United) and Ryan Ogam (RFC Liège). It is a group that blends raw promise with proven quality, and one that will be pushed to deliver across different conditions and opponents.

Three matches. Three very different tests. By the time the lights go out at Amahoro Stadium on 5 October, Kenya will know a lot more about their depth, their direction, and who McCarthy can truly trust when the AFCON stakes rise.