Okwemba: CHAN 2024 to open doors for Harambee Stars standouts

Former Harambee Stars attacking midfielder Charles Okwemba is optimistic the just ended CHAN 2024 has opened doors for potential lucrative deals, for the Stars players who featured in the tourney, and capped it up with impressive performances.

 “It is very obvious and a matter of time before the doors open for Harambee Stars players to go abroad, in better teams and deals, that will turn around their lives.

What Kenya showed was a clear indicator that we have talented players who can rise to the occasion provided they are given the confidence and everything required from the head coach, technical bench and even the government support,”Okwemba said.

Okwemba is of the view the brilliance shown by Stars is a clear message that the team is ready to brush shoulders with African heavyweights.

“It is a huge step the boys have taken, and a statement of intent that we are ready to compete with African heavyweights after managing to, against all odds, beat powerhouse Morocco 1-0 in group stage,” said Okwemba.

Okwemba is elated to see home-grown players proving the need to heavily rely on local players.

“You can even look at the squad that Benni McCarthy has called for the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier matches against Gambia and Seychelles.

It shows that Benni has been able to use CHAN to know the players that can be blended with a few foreign-based, to form a team that can represent the country at the highest levels,”he explained.

“He has confidence in our local players and he has been so immense in their improvement and belief,” he said, adding that Kenya's clash with Gambia, on September 5, in a World Cup qualifier, followed by a fixtures against Seychelles, should give more pointer to Stars growing reputation.