Harambee Stars captain Michael Olunga has made one humble plea to Kenyan supporters ahead of a crunch World Cup qualifier clash against Gabon.
Harambee Stars captain Michael Olunga has urged fans to turn up in large numbers at the Nyayo Stadium on March 23, when Kenya welcomes Gabon for the 2026 World Cup qualifier.
The Stars, under the tutelage of South African tactician Benni McCarthy, are finally set to play their first match at home for the first time in about 18 months.
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The Al Duhail striker who has managed 11 league goals in 15 matches this season, maintained that the 12th man is vital in football and the stars can’t wait to express themselves in front of their own fans.
Okumu, who featured for Stade Reims on Sunday and played the full match, is notably absent from the 23-man travelling squad for their FIFA World Cup qualifier against Gambia.
In an interview with Flashscore, Olunga, who began his career with the Liberty Sports Academy in the Nairobi County League at a very young age, said: “I urge the fans to turn out in large numbers on Sunday against Gabon, they need to come and give us the 12th man support that is really much needed and has been missing, I know Kenyans really love football very much, and we are looking forward to seeing them again on Sunday.”
The 30,000-seater Nyayo Stadium and the Kasarani Stadium were closed for renovations, barring Harambee Stars from using the two facilities. Kenya last played a fixture on their home soil on September 12, 2023, a friendly that they lost 1-0 against South Sudan.
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Since then, Harambee Stars have played 21 matches in all competitions, including friendlies, AFCON, CHAN, and World Cup qualifiers, without stepping foot on home ground.
During the World Cup qualifiers, Kenya picked Bingu Stadium in Lilongwe, Malawi as their home ground for their fixtures against Burundi and Ivory Coast.
Kenya opted to play their home matches in Uganda during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers where The Stars were in Group F alongside Cameroon, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
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The return to play at Nyayo comes at a crucial time when Harambee Stars are fighting to make a mark under McCarthy who was earmarked to redeem Kenya’s dwindling fortunes on the international Stage.
The Stars first settles scores with The Gambia on March 20 at the Alassane Ouattara Ebimpe Olympic Stadium in Ivory Coast. This is because Gambia, who are the home team, don’t have a stadium approved by the world governing body FIFA or Confederation of African Football (CAF) to stage high-standard matches.
