NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 4 – Harambee Stars head coach Engin Firat has handed a late call up to Sofapaka’s Baron Ochieng who is expected to link up with the team’s training camp in Lilongwe, Malawi, on Tuesday afternoon.
The tactician has been faced with an injury crisis ahead of this week’s World Cup qualifiers, and has decided to call up the Kenya Under-20 international to spruce up the backline.
Daniel Anyembe, and rookie Tobias Knost are the two other out and out right backs in the team, and Firat has decided to include more cover.
He is the third new call up into the team, following up in the calls for England-based Zak Vyner who did not train with the team during their camp in Nairobi, as well as Sofapaka skipper Clifton Miheso.
Miheso linked up with the team on Monday, having been asked to travel late after Eric Johannah was dropped from the final squad. The Romania based midfielder suffered a second national team chop after he reportedly failed to return to camp in time for their departure early Sunday morning.
The team was given Saturday off and were expected to regroup that evening, but the midfielder is said to have returned late.
This is the second consecutive time Johannah was dropped from the team after he was axed alongside left back Abud Omar after a squabble in camp before they travelled for the four nations tournament in the last international window.
This latest expulsion might spell the end of his national team career.
Meanwhile, the team in Malawi has been boosted with the arrival of midfielder Timothy ‘Babu’ Ouma, and defender Johnstone Omurwa.
