Shabana FC forward Darius Msagha regrets not renewing his passport, two years after it expired, as it recently cost him a place in the Harambee Stars African Nations Championship (CHAN) qualifiers squad.Msagha had been named in the preliminary squad but was dropped as the team departed for Juba, South Sudan where they lost the first leg 2-0 last Sunday.He was one of three players left behind due to the lack of a valid passport, and just like that, his opportunity to represent the national team slipped away.##NAJAVA_MECA_8449361##”It is true there were three players with passport issues, including Msagha. The problem wasn’t resolved in time, which made it difficult for them to travel,” said coach Engin Firat in an interview with Sports Boom.Msagha confirmed that his passport had expired in 2022 and that he had not renewed it. His attempts to have it renewed by last Wednesday, the final submission day, were unsuccessful, and he was subsequently dropped from the squad that faced Africa’s newest nation.##NAJAVA_MECA_8457034##”It’s unfortunate that I was excluded from the national team due to a lack of a valid passport. My passport expired in 2022, and I applied for a new one on Monday. Unfortunately, it wasn’t ready before Wednesday, which was the final submission day for the federation. I wish I had renewed it earlier,” the former Bandari and Sofapaka FC player said.Brian Michira admits Shabana fans boycott is hurting the teamHe admits that missing out on the chance to play for the national team is a bitter pill to swallow and advises other players to always ensure their documents are up to date.”I’ve learned my lesson the hard way. I’ll do better next time. This should be a reminder to fellow players about the importance of keeping their documents up to date,” he added.After suffering the 2-0 defeat in the first leg, the two teams will meet again on Sunday in Uganda, with Kenya as the host. The aggregate winner will face either Rwanda or Djibouti in the second and final qualification round.Kenya, one of the host nations for next year’s tournament, has already secured a place at the biannual event and will be participating for the first time ever.’Remember the name’ – Asenwa says after Monday heroics against Gor Mahia
