Harambee Stars head coach Engin Firat believes Gor Mahia right-back Rooney Onyango is underutilized when fielded as a defender and should be played as an attacker more often.The marauding fullback has been one of the best defenders in the league this season, his first with Gor Mahia.He has reduced Philemon Otieno and Paul Ochuoga to reserve players.##NAJAVA_MECA_8117932##However, at the national team level, he has never been fielded as a right winger in the five games he has played. He made his debut in the 2-2 draw against Russia in October 2023.Rooney is once again part of the Harambee Stars team preparing for the World Cup qualifiers against Burundi and the Ivory Coast in June.Kenya will host both matches in Lilongwe, Malawi, as the country does not have a CAF-certified stadium, a move that has elicited mixed reactions from fans and the political class.On Wednesday, Firat addressed the press, touching on many topics regarding the national team, including Rooney Onyango’s best position.CS Owalo reveals plans for construction of Gor Mahia complexFirat explained that he believes the player is more effective upfront, and used the last three national team games to prove his point.As it happened: Engin Firat mad as Harambee Stars are forced to play away from home“Look at the last matches, let’s only take the last three matches. Against Seychelles, he scored one goal and made one assist. Against Malawi, one assist and one penalty, and against Zimbabwe, also one assist,” the Turkish tactician stated.He appeared to criticize Gor Mahia for not fielding the player in the ‘right’ position.“This is in three matches. Now look at his score data for the whole season with Gor Mahia, and you get the answer. Everything is so clear, there is no discussion about it.”Rooney is certain to be among the 24 or 25 players traveling to Malawi for the qualifiers. The Stars will play Burundi on 7th June before taking on the Ivory Coast four days later.Stars Abroad: Victor Wanyama scores in Montreal defeat as Esse Akida wins double in Greece
