They were consistent in the 2024-2025 Football Kenya Federation Premier League (FKFPL) season.They put their bodies on the line when their teams needed to either protect a slender lead, defend a narrow advantage, or keep a clean sheet.Follow our WhatsApp channel for more newsThese are men who never shied from tackling, willingly picked up cards for the team, and occasionally found the back of the net.Yet, their club form was not deemed good enough to earn them a place in the national team, Harambee Stars, for the CHAN finals.##NAJAVA_MECA_9009565##Much as the Stars’ door is not permanently shut, and acknowledging that not all in-form players can be called up, it is fair to highlight how good they were in the concluded season and the fact that they did not find favour in the eyes of McCarthy.Brian Okoth- Kenya Police FCOkoth was arguably one of the best defenders at Police in the past season.Posta Rangers to drop experienced players after surviving relegationSince joining Police, from FC Talanta in January 2024, Okoth’s career has been on the rise and has captured the attention of many observers this season, who expected his name to be among the first in McCarthy’s squad.He was the constant name at the heart of Police defense, partnering the experienced Musa Mohammed, largely in the first leg, and an equally experienced David ‘Cheche’ Ochieng in the second half of the season.The 24-year-old led Police to concede just 17 league goals throughout the season – the fewest in the league with his goalkeeper Job Ochieng, who was equally overlooked for the CHAN squad winning the golden boot.Additionally, Okoth also contributed to the attacking threat of Police, occasionally scoring important goals, including the 75th-minute header against Shabana that sealed Police’s league title on 15 June.Brian Eshihanda – Kakamega HomeboyzThe central defender was one of the unsung heroes at the club as he produced top performances week in, week out.Kenya confirms CHAN readiness after passing recent CAF inspection testHe anchored the defence that conceded 27 goals, the third fewest in the season.Most notably, the Homeboyz assistant captain led his side to an 11-match unbeaten run that culminated in the end of the season, losing just one league game in 2025, which was also the only loss in 24 league games.In that process, Eshihanda helped the Mozzart-Bet-sponsored side move from the bottom of the 18-team league table in November 2024 to finish third on the log.Additionally, Eshihanda had an eye for goal, scoring four times, mostly from set pieces.George Onyango – Shabana FCThe hard-tackling centre back was a strong pillar at the Shabana back line.He captained The Glamour Boys to a fifth-place finish, an improvement from the 2023/24 season, where they escaped relegation by a whisker, finishing 14th on the log.Shabana conceded just 29 goals in the season, with Onyango’s partnership with Mark Okola at the heart of the defence being key to the improved performance.Charles Momanyi – Tusker FCThe Tusker captain was another surprise exclusion from McCarthy’s CHAN squad.The experienced center back managed to stay fit throughout the season and regained his form, becoming a standout performer on the Tusker side.How Harambee Stars assistant captain’s pep talk inspired Butere Boys to break Regional Games jinxThe former Gor Mahia man played 33 of the 34th league matches of the season, scoring four goals and leading Tusker to a fourth-place finish.For his troubles, he initially captured the eye of McCarthy, who handed him a call-up in October 2024 but missed out on the latest call-up.Leonlevitt Otieno – Kariobangi SharksThe versatile player was arguably the best right back in the just-concluded FKFPL season, as he put in strong performances at Sharks despite playing out of position.Solid at the back, Otieno’s biggest attribute, though, was his ability to run dangerously on the overlap to help his team in the attacking third.Otieno had one of the best cross accuracies in the league and was responsible for creating numerous goal-scoring opportunities for the William Muluya-coached side.Key area Tusker are focusing on as rebuilding gets underwayIn the latter stages of the season, Muluya sought to exploit Otieno’s strengths by deploying him as a right winger, a position he thrived in before being deployed as a defender.In conclusion, some of these top defenders, if not all, deserved at least a place in the provisional squad.
