Shabana FC Organising Secretary Stephen Kiama has strongly criticised the Harambee Stars technical bench for excluding the club’s star midfielder Brian Michira from the preliminary squad for the upcoming African Nations Championship (CHAN) tournament set for August.Follow our WhatsApp channel for more newsLast week, Harambee Stars head coach Benni McCarthy unveiled his provisional squad, which is expected to begin residential training this Thursday in preparation for the tournament that kicks off on Saturday, 2 August.Before then, the team will participate in a Four Nations Tournament in Tanzania from Monday, 21 to Thursday, 24 July, featuring Kenya, Uganda, Sudan and the hosts.##NAJAVA_MECA_9008139##The squad announcement has sparked heated debate among football stakeholders, with many questioning the omission of high-performing local talents.One of the most notable exclusions is that of Brian Michira, who had an impressive season for Shabana FC, ending the campaign with 17 goals in all competitions, 12 in the FKF Premier League and five in the Mozzart Bet Cup, alongside eight league assists.Speaking to Flashscore, Kiama expressed his dissatisfaction with the selection process and specifically questioned the rationale behind leaving out Michira.“We really don’t understand who did the selection of the CHAN squad. Was it really done by McCarthy himself or Francis Kimanzi? Because for any serious coach or director scouting local talent for a tournament designed for home-based players, there is no way you can overlook Michira,” said Kiama.Harambee Stars wing-back joins English League Two clubHe further questioned what more Michira needed to do to merit a national team call-up, pointing out that several players with far less impactful seasons were selected.“The young man has proved himself this season. He just missed the Premier League Golden Boot by five goals; he scored 12, while the winner had 17. He was the top scorer in the domestic FKF Cup with five goals. So what else were the selectors looking for, if not what Michira has delivered on the pitch?” he posed.Clyde Senaji reveals preferred destination after cutting ties with Malawian clubKiama also singled out the inclusion of Tusker FC’s Ryan Ogam as another questionable decision. Ogam, who struggled with injury during the second half of the season, was only fit for the final match against Kakamega Homeboyz, raising concerns about his match readiness.“It is very unfortunate that the selectors did not do their homework. For instance, they called up Ryan Ogam, who was out injured for almost the entire second leg. He just returned to training days before the season ended. He definitely lacks match fitness, and you want him ready for CHAN?”REVIEW: Talanta’s season that had first female coach and Osoro’s shine dimmed by relegationIn conclusion, Kiama called for transparency and merit in national team selection, emphasising that overlooking standout players like Michira sends the wrong message.“What exactly were they looking for when picking the squad? If you can’t select a player who scored 12 goals in the league, five in the domestic cup and provided multiple assists, then perhaps we don’t really know what kind of players we want to represent the national team.”South African, Zambian clubs in tug-of war for Francis Kahiro’s signature
