Kenya has named a 27-man provisional squad for the forthcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against Angola next month.
Head Coach Jacob Mulee said on Monday that the majority of the players were locals with only four foreign-based players. They will take on the South Africans on September 8 in Nairobi.
"We have concentrated on our local boys for the game as we look ahead to the Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup and next year's qualifiers for the 2010 Africa Nations Cup and World Cup," Mulee said.
Next month's match will be a mere formality as the east Africans have already bowed out of the qualifiers.
Angola have already won the group and clinched the automatic qualification berth while Kenya are out of the reckoning and can only play for pride.
"This match may be of no consequence to the African Nations Cup qualifiers but we are taking it very seriously," KFF secretary general, Sammy Obingo said.
Conspicuously missing from the squad is Tusker's Allan Wanga who had a good run during Kenya's tie with Swaziland and who was widely expected to make the team this time round.
The four professionals are Arnold Origi, Dennis Oliech, Macdonald Mariga and Czech-based Patrick Oboya.
Coast Stars goalkeeper Kennedy Onyanch, defender Abdalla Juma and midfielder Dennis Odhiambo both of Thika United are the new faces in the Harambee Stars squad.
Bandari's Anthony Ojiambo, Ulinzi Stars' Collins Ochieng and Ibrahim Anan of Sher Agencies together with John Mwangi (Chemelil Sugar), Fred Ajwang (Sony Sugar) and Kelvin Ngugi (Coast Stars) complete the list of new call-ups in the formality match.
Ibrahim Shikanda, Edgar Ochieng, Godfrey Kokoyo,Mulinge Munandi and Charles Odour complete the list of players who will be camping at the new FIFA Goal Project base.
The African Nations Cup is without doubt the greatest sporting spectacle on the continent. The two-year marathon that is the qualifying campaign for the 2008 finals in Ghana finishes next month.
Each group winner qualifies automatically for Ghana where they will be joined by the top three runners- up from the groups made up of four teams.
Egypt are the reigning African champions. The Pharaohs won a record fifth Nations Cup title when they beat the Ivory Coast last year.
Source: Xinhua
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