Days after his selection in the provisional Harambee Stars squad scheduled to battle it out against Iran on March 28, Bandari FC left back Mohamed Siraj is optimistic about yet another opportunity to don the Kenyan colors, but hopes that his inclusion will be of much worth for himself and the entire squad.“This is a huge motivation for me,” Siraj commented about the impact of him being called up by Kenya head coach Engin Firat. “It’s not the first time I’ve had that good feeling after a call up but I am sure that this time will be much different if I commit to work harder.”##NAJAVA_MECA_7108294##Siraj received his maiden call up into the national team in September 2021 when former head coach Jacob Mulee included him into the Harambee Stars squad that played two second round World Cup Qualifiers against Uganda and Rwanda.In both games, Siraj was an unused substitute before missing out on the team after current head coach Engin Firat took over ahead of the next international break that year.That experience seems to have had an impact on his growth as a player.Abdallah Hassan, Siraj Mohamed na Andrew Juma ndani ya uzi wa timu ya taifa 🇰🇪👌🏽.📸 @Harambee__Stars pic.twitter.com/miCA6vXhgU— Bandari Football Club (@BandariOfficial) March 17, 2023 “If I am being honest, this is where I should always be,” Siraj said. “Credit to my coaches, teammates and everyone who has supported my journey. What I now know from being around the camp is that I have to be consistent.“Making sure that once I get one [call up], I’ll definitely be in discussion for the next one.”Underlining the impact of just being around the camp previously, Siraj was excited for yet another opportunity to ‘learn from the best’ and from a bunch of professionals who will key to him stepping up his game.Bryne Omondi sets sights on becoming Harambee Stars’ first choice goalkeeper“I know my position is one of the most stacked in this team and in a good way,” Siraj said. “What that means for me is to keep my levels up. Its not a time to back down but rather to show that you can do it.”Alongside him in the camp are club teammates Andrew Juma and Hassan Abdallah, who he said they had frequent communication about linking up and were all excited to make the cut.Kenya Simbas ace Darwin Mukidza announces retirement from international rugby“Our conversations have been just about representing the team well once we get involved,” Siraj said. “Our teammates have also congratulated us, we can only treat them well by performing even better in the big stage.”Siraj won the club’s player of the season last year and has scooped over several man of the match awards since signing for Bandari in 2017. He is a former FC Talanta and Shabana player.
