Harambee Stars defender Joseph Okumu has not been involved in his club’s last two league matches and his coach has given the reasons for his absence.
Harambee Stars coach Engin Firat will be keeping his fingers crossed that defender Joseph Okumu is fit before next month’s 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Cameroon after suffering an injury.
Okumu was not in the Stade de Reims squad that held French champions Paris Saint-Germain to a 1-1 draw on Saturday night due to a groin injury suffered in training.
The defender had featured for Harambee Stars in their two games against Zimbabwe and Namibia but has not been involved for Reims in their last two matches against Nantes and PSG with his coach confirming the injury.
05:15 - 20.09.2024
Top 10 most expensive Kenyan players in the 2024 transfer market [UPDATED]
Discover the top 10 most expensive Kenyan footballers in the 2024 transfer market, showcasing their rising global market values.
“Joseph Okumu is absent because of an injury to the abductor sustained in training and we will have to asses each week but he is not ready for the PSG match,” Reims coach Luka Elsner told the media.
Okumu is one of Elsner’s key men and had started all Reims’ three opening matches of the season before the injury setback.
In his absence, Ivory Coast defender Cedric Kipre has partnered his countryman Emmanuel Agbadou in central defence as they won 2-1 against Nantes before the draw with PSG.
10:10 - 22.09.2024
Harambee Stars captain Michael Olunga keeps good post-injury momentum going in Al Duhail's win over Al Saad
The former Gor Mahia man was in impeccable form as Al Duhail sailed to a comfortable 5-1 win over Al Saad on Saturday night.
Harambee Stars take on Cameroon in the first of their double header on October 7 before the return match on October 15 with Firat keen to maintain their spot at the top of their qualifying group.
Both Kenya and Cameroon have four points from their first two matches and whoever collects more points from next month’s matches will gain a massive advantage in the qualification journey.
Firat will therefore hope to have all his big hitters around and Okumu is among his key players.
13:23 - 21.09.2024
Why Harambee Stars coach Engin Firat is sounding the alarm ahead of Cameroon duel
Harambee Stars coach Engin Firat has emphasized the need for government support ahead of a crucial AFCON qualifier against Cameroon.