Harambee Stars head coach Benni McCarthy has said former captain Victor Wanyama is “somebody that this country has to respect” following his recent recall into the national team.McCarthy last week caught many by surprise when he named Wanyama in Kenya’s provisional squad set to play two friendly matches against Chad on 7 and 10 June respectively.Follow Our WhatsApp Channel For More News The decision, which had earlier on been hinted by the 33-year-old midfielder in an interview with BBC, effectively brought him out of retirement from international football after a whopping 1,644 days.Wanyama later withdrew from the squad due to “personal commitments”, and in an interview with FKF Media, McCarthy weighed in on the entire topic, giving reasons for his recall, withdrawal, and why he deserves national respect.##NAJAVA_MECA_8962024##Who better to learn from?McCarthy made it clear from his call-ups that he is building a formidable squad for the upcoming 2024 African Nations Championships (CHAN), which will be held in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania on 2-30 August.Apart from a handful of names playing abroad, a huge bulk of his provisional squad was mostly young local-based players, who will be expected to play in the championships.Naming Wanyama in that squad was in McCarthy’s words, ideal for the rest of the team to feed off his experience.#HarambeeStars will play against Chad in 2⃣ friendly matches scheduled for 7th and 10th June, 2025 in Morocco Here is your provisional squad. Do you spot a familiar return? 👀 pic.twitter.com/OHkXSABRml— Harambee Stars (@Harambee__Stars) May 27, 2025 “For the younger players that you bring in, who better to learn from than someone who has played at the highest level but achieved so much as well?” McCarthy spoke of his decision to “have the opportunity to give someone like that (Wanyama) a chance back in the national squad.”Family mattersJust days after the news of his return, Wanyama withdrew from the team, with Gor Mahia midfielder Austin Odhiambo being swiftly named as his replacement.FKF wrote Wanyama had “been excused due to personal commitments in the UK”, and McCarthy gave more detail on the same.Victor Wanyama withdraws from Harambee Stars squad“It’s just unfortunate that he couldn’t make it because he’s got family matters, so it’s not a question whether the player did not want to come,” the South African tactician said.On whether that shuts down another comeback, he said: “There will be other opportunities.”Fans react to Victor Wanyama coming out of Harambee Stars retirementNational respectWanyama’s last game for Harambee Stars came on 15 November 2020, a game Kenya lost 2-1 to all but end their hopes of making back-to-back Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) appearances.Close to a year later (27 September 2021), the former national team captain unceremoniously called time on his international career aged 30, bringing to an end his 14-year stint with the team.The millions of shillings former Harambee Stars head coach is demanding from FKFCalls to have him rescind his decision went unanswered, with many harboring thoughts that he had quit in his prime.In an interview with the press last Saturday, FKF Vice President McDonald Mariga blamed “disrespectful” Kenyan fans for his brother Wanyama’s surprise retirement, saying “here it feels like people do not appreciate you, so you do not even care to do a memorial match because of the disrespect.” Mariga blames fans for Wanyama’s early Harambee Stars retirementMcCarthy seemed to read from the same book as Mariga, calling for more respect for Wanyama.“I think he (Wanyama) is a local icon,” McCarthy said, before referencing his identical retirement from international football.“I know, I have been through that. In South Africa, I never had the send off I wanted after everything I had done for the country.”Benni McCarthy-mania on show in rare Harambee Stars unveilingMcCarthy, a former striker, is still South Africa national team’s all-time top scorer with 31 goals.“So Victor is somebody that this country has to respect,” McCarthy added. “When it comes to football, he is one player that put Kenya’s name very high on the map whether it is his exploits at Celtic, Southampton or Tottenham Hotspur. Him, together with Michael Olunga and Mariga.”
