Harambee Stars head coach Benny McCarthy with players when they arrived at Arusha airport on July 19, 2025/COURTESY The 25-man squad, led by head coach Benni McCarthy, landed at Arusha Airport on Saturday at noon after departing Nairobi earlier in the day.
They were expected to proceed to Karatu, the tournament’s host town, located about 150km from Arusha.
McCarthy, who spoke before departure, said the tournament comes at a critical stage in the team's preparations.
"It is a good tournament to gauge our preparedness for CHAN. We are going to face formidable opponents and that will clearly show us what is working and what needs to be fixed,” he stated.
The tournament will act as a preparatory ground for the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN), which will be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania starting Saturday, August 2.
CHAN features only home-based players, and similarly, all teams in this four-nation tournament will field locally based squads.
Kenya will be looking to build on their positive momentum after winning a similar mini-tournament held in Malawi in March 2024.
According to the fixture list, Harambee Stars will kick off their campaign against arch-rivals Uganda on Monday, July 21, at 3 pm.
On the same day, Tanzania will face Senegal.
Kenya will then play host to Tanzania on Thursday, July 24, at 4 pm before wrapping up the group stage with a match against Senegal on Sunday, July 27, at 1 pm.
Some of the players, when they arrived in Tanzania on July 19, 2025/COURTESY Coach McCarthy unveiled the squad on Saturday before departure.
In goal, the team will rely on experienced shot-stopper Farouk Shikalo, alongside Byrne Omondi and Sepstianos Wekesa.
The defensive unit includes Siraj Mohammed, Manzur Suleiman, Pamba Swaleh, Abud Omar, Alphonce Omija, Sylvester Owino, Michael Kibwage, Daniel Sakari, Lewis Bandi, and Kevin Okumu.
The midfield features a blend of experience and emerging talent with Brian Musa, Alpha Onyango, Austin Odhiambo, Ben Stanley, and Marvin Nabwire providing balance and creativity.
Leading the attack are seasoned forward Masud Juma, Boniface Muchiri, Felix Uluoch, Mohammed Bajaber, David Sakwa, Ryan Ogam, and Austin Odongo.
