NAIROBI, Kenya, November 14, 2025 – Football Kenya Federation (FKF) head of national teams, Athanas Obala has marvelled at the world class facilities in Antalya as they prepare for their twin international friendlies against Equatorial Guinea and Senegal.
Obala says their experience has been a pleasant surprise and a break from the past.
“We are being hosted here in very, very, very marvellous and fantastic facilities here in Turkey. It’s something that is unbelievable. It tells you what happens in Europe is totally different from what is happening in Africa because here the facilities are just fantastic,” he said.
Benni McCarthy’s charges arrived in the Turkish city on Thursday in readiness for the duel, which will be a baptism of fire for majority of the youngsters who are in line for their maiden game for the national team.
Obala believes the two friendlies are the latest evidence of changing times for the national teams as far as competitive action is concerned.
Gone are the days when Harambee Stars and their female counterparts, Harambee Starlets, would be lying idle as other teams test themselves during the international break.
“I have to appreciate the federation for arranging these matches because previously we have not been able to honour all the international windows but with the current regime we can be able to honour all the FIFA windows for this part of the year. This is something that was a bit ignored before, but it is very good for the players,” Obala said.
With McCarthy increasingly adding new faces to the national set-up, Obala predicts that competition for places in the squad will become cutthroat.
Youngsters like Spain-based Aldrine Kibet, Zamalek’s Baron Ochieng’, Finland-based Lawrence Okoth and Gor Mahia left-back Bryton Onyona are billed to be part of Stars’ squad for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
Matches of this calibre will provide them with a taste of what to expect at the highest level of the game on the continent and worldwide.
The hunger to succeed in the camp is at an all-time high as many more players in the Kenya Premier League as well as abroad fight to catch the eye of the South African.
“This is a very, very important fixture for us. The coaches will be able to have time to gauge the new players and also look at the current players in camp. I’m looking at a situation in the future whereby it will be very competitive in the national team to be able to don the national colours. So it’s up on the players to pull up and show something from these two games. And I think we’ll have something to cheer about or to go back home and say it was a very successful tour,” he said.
Harambee Stars meet Equatorial Guinea on Friday night at the Emirhan Sport Centre before meeting Pape Thiaw’s charges at the same venue, four days later.
Kenya’s last meeting with the Guineans in 2018 ended in a 1-0 victory for them, Pitsone Mutamba scoring the decisive goal at the Kenyatta Stadium in Machakos.
On the other, Stars’ record against the Senegalese makes for a sombre reading; of the five meetings, they have lost four times while only drawing once.
