Harambee Stars captain Michael Olunga has expressed his pleasure at how head coach Benni McCarthy has preferred to build his squad around young players.McCarthy named his first 23-man squad for the games against The Gambia and Gabon which travelled to Ivory Coast for the duel against The Scorpions and had several young players, especially in the provisional squad.Kenya yet to pay Ksh1.6 billion CHAN hosting fee to CAFAmong the notable young players in the travelling team are KCB defender Manzur Okwaro, Ben Stanley Omondi and Nairobi City Stars’ Mohamed Bajaber.Speaking to FKF Media, the former Gor Mahia forward expressed his joy with the influx of young players into the national team fold.##NAJAVA_MECA_8790145##“It is nice to see young players making it to the final squad. We have a good crop of players from the local league also and it is good to see they are being integrated into the team at an early age,” said Olunga.While the majority of young players did not make it to the final squad, the 2015 FKF Premier League MVP believes it is just a matter of time before they establish themselves as key players in the team.Where to watch Gambia vs Harambee Stars FIFA World Cup qualifier“Even if some did not make it to the final squad, they still have a chance in the next games as the door is always open for them.”With Kenya preparing to compete in the 2024 CHAN, a tournament reserved for players plying their trade in the local league, the former Tusker man appreciated the efforts by the technical bench to have as many local-based players as possible integrated into the national team.##NAJAVA_MECA_8790212##“We are going to host CHAN and so we need players to be tested at the highest level because the dynamics in the local league and the national team are different and so that will help them grow.”Additionally, the Al-Duhail all-time top scorer tipped the young players to excel in the team and perform better for the national team.Prices and how to buy tickets for Harambee Stars vs Gabon match“I am looking forward to what this young team can do.”
