Michael Olunga has welcomed the inclusion of strikers John Avire and Jonah Ayunga in the national team, stating that competition from the duo will benefit the squad.Avire, who plays his football in Egypt, makes a return to the national team after almost five years, while Scotland-based Ayunga earned his first inclusion in the national fold.##NAJAVA_MECA_7968460##The two strikers are seen as good competition for Olunga, who is the undisputed first choice for the national team.Speaking on Wednesday at Utalii Grounds, Olunga welcomed the pair’s inclusion, saying it’s good for the team and the country.”Competition is good; we are out there to bring the best, and there are still more upcoming players. Whoever gets the nod to play will represent us well, and we will be there to support each other. As I said, having many quality players on the team is good for the nation because it gives us options,” he stated.Regarding the mood in the camp ahead of the four nations tournament, Olunga said the team has prepared well and everything looks set.”We are good; the players are good, and the mood in the camp is great. There are new faces, of course—some players have received their first call-ups, while some are returning after a long time. That is the beauty of it because there is room in the national team for all the players who work hard,” he added.FKF to Proceed with SGM in April Following Disrupted AGMOlunga added that the competition would serve as good preparation for the World Cup qualifiers in June and CHAN in September.”This tournament is going to be good preparation for us ahead of the World Cup qualifiers and also the CHAN. It is going to be a good chance to gauge the players because sometimes international competitions are different from league matches.”The Al Duhail man further lauded the inclusion of new players like Bandari’s David Sakwa, saying it is an indication that there are many emerging talents.”Kenya has a lot of good players, and the KPL is becoming more competitive. Good players are emerging, and it is encouraging. Like Sakwa was in Division One, now with Bandari and now he is with the national team. That is encouraging, and for the players, once you work hard, someone is watching you, and you can always get that opportunity to play.”The Stars depart for Malawi on Thursday.EXCLUSIVE: Mathare United coach Odipo steps down
