Harambee Stars head coach Benni McCarthy has confirmed that he was not fully in charge of selecting the players called up to the national team for matches against Gabon and The Gambia.The South African coach announced his preliminary squad on Tuesday, with locally based players joining the camp on Wednesday for their first training session.Foreign-based players are expected to arrive by Sunday, ahead of next Thursday’s game against The Gambia, which will take place in Ivory Coast.##NAJAVA_MECA_8773345##Concerns have been raised about the selection of the 48-man squad, given that McCarthy was only unveiled as coach last Monday and had watched just one league game—Kariobangi Sharks against Gor Mahia—two days later at the Dandora Stadium.McCarthy has now explained how the squad was chosen. He revealed that coach Francis Kimanzi, who was present at the training ground on Wednesday, played a role in selecting the team.Other unnamed local coaches who have previously been involved with the national team also contributed to the selection process.Why Gor Mahia and Tusker players snubbed McCarthy’s first Harambee Stars training session”I was not fortunate enough to watch a lot of matches. I did not get a wide variety of knowledge of the players. I had to rely on coach Francis and the coaches who have been part and parcel of the team,” McCarthy said during an interview on Wednesday.The coach also mentioned that he reviewed video footage of the players, acknowledging that it was not an ideal method but stating that it helped him discover an unnamed hidden gem.”I also watched some videos. I know it is not ideal, but considering the time I came in was short, I’m glad I did because maybe I could have missed a hidden gem,” McCarthy added.Why Gor Mahia and Tusker players snubbed McCarthy’s first Harambee Stars training sessionDespite the challenges, McCarthy promised to prepare the team well to ensure they are capable of winning matches.”We will work to get the team ready and right. We have to give Kenyans a hardworking team that fights and tries to play good football. The most important thing is producing a team that has the desire to win. Our priority is the Gambia match, and hopefully, we’ll get the team ready and make the nation proud,” he concluded.Tusker FC coach praises quartet after earning national team call-ups
