
Firat reveals why Anyembe was overlooked from Russia travelling squad
Reading Time: 2min | Tue. 10.10.23. | 16:35
The right-back was first called up for the national team duties in April and made his debut against Iran as a second half substitute in a friendly match
Harambee Stars head coach Engin Firat has shed light on the absence of Daniel Anyembe from the team that left for Russia in preparation for an international friendly on Monday, October 16.
Anyembe was saliently missing from the team listing rising eye brows among Kenya football enthusiast.
The fullback was called to the national team duties for the first team in April and went on to debut as a second half substitute in a friendly against Iran.
The 25 year old right back then had standout performances for the Harambee Stars in subsequent call ups, notably helping Kenya secure a memorable 2-1 win over Qatar and putting up impressive effort in a narrow 1-0 loss to South Sudan.
Speaking to the media after their first training session, Firat revealed that the defender's absence was due to logistical challenge with travelling noting that he had not secured the influential defender release from his Danish Superliga club, Viborg, at the time of travel
"We wanted to have Anyembe in camp, but his club was reluctant to release him. We have communicated to them officially and we hope that we'll have him here in time for the match on Monday, " said coach Firat.
Coach Engin Firat on #HarambeeStars defender Daniel Anyembe pic.twitter.com/Md0lGTBtga
— Harambee Stars (@Harambee__Stars) October 10, 2023
Firat further stated that the door to the national team remained open, and that they are exploring options to strengthen the squad for the upcoming qualifiers.
"The door into and out of the national team remains open. We continue exploring options as we aim to build a strong team for the upcoming qualifiers in November, " he added.
Kenya faces Russia on Monday in a match that serves as the final test for the Stars ahead of the highly anticipated 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers set to kick off in November.
The Harambee stars are pooled in Group F alongside Ivory Coast, Gabon, Gambia, Burundi, and Seychelles.










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