McCarthy names 23-man Kenya squad for September’s World Cup qualifiers

Kenya national team coach Benni McCarthy has announced his final squad for two pivotal 2026 World Cup qualifier matches against the Gambia and Seychelles in September.

Kenya will host The Gambia on Friday, September 5, 2025, followed by a clash with Seychelles on Tuesday, September 9, 2025.

Both matches are set to kick off at 4:00 PM (1:00 PM GMT) at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani.
These matches come at a critical stage in the African qualifiers, which feature a group stage format. Teams are divided into groups, and each team plays home-and-away fixtures against their group rivals.

The top team in each group qualifies directly for the World Cup, the second round will pit the four best runners-up in two one-off semi-finals, followed by a final. The winner of this second round will participate in the FIFA Play-Off Tournament.

Kenya squad for September 2025 qualifiers:

Goalkeepers:
Faruk Shikhalo, Byrne Omondi, Brian Bwire

Defenders:
Sylvester Owino, Alphonce Omija, Collins Sichenje, Michael Kibwage, Ronney Onyango, Abud Omar, Lewis Bandi

Midfielders:
Richard Odada, Alpha Onyango, Duke Abuya, Manzur Suleiman, Timothy Ouma, Ben Stanley, Marvin Nabwire

Wingers:
Emmanuel Osoro, William Lenkupae, Job Ochieng, Boniface Muchiri

Strikers:
Michael Olunga, Ryan Ogam