After 1,644 days of international retirement, Harambee Stars head coach Benni McCarthy has successfully convinced former captain Victor Wanyama to return to the provisional squad ahead of the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN).Follow our WhatsApp channel for more newsThe former Tottenham Hotspur midfield dynamo had in recent days hinted at a possible return to the Harambee Stars after holding talks with McCarthy.Fans divided over Victor Wanyama’s desire to return to Harambee StarsThe last time the 33-year-old featured for Harambee Stars was back in November 2020 when he captained Harambee Stars to a 2-1 loss to Comoros in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.He subsequently called time on his international career on 27 September 2021, aged 30, bringing to an end his 14-year stint with the team.His retirement was met with mixed reactions with the those, who felt he had quit at his prime urging the then Jacob ‘Ghost’ Mulee to urge the midfielder to reconsider his decision. Victor Wanyama takes first step towards coaching careerFormer Cabinet Secretary for Sports Ababu Namwamba and former Stars head coach Engin Firat unsuccessfully attempted to lure Wanyama back to the fold, despite the latter announcing that the midfielder had agreed to wear the red kit again. However, the defensive midfielder who has nit been shying from commenting on the national team and issues affecting Kenyan football will be available for selection once again. It remains to be seen whether McCarthy will hand the captain’s armband to Wanyama, in the two matches, considering that skipper Michael Olunga and his assistant Joseph Okumu are not in the squad.
