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Masoud Juma suffered an unfortunate achilles tendon rupture last February, which has forced him to stay on the sidelines for close to nine months.
Saudi Arabia-based striker Masoud Juma was spotted training with the Harambee Stars squad on Friday as they kicked off preparations for their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) doubleheader qualifier against Cameroon at the Police Sacco Stadium in South C on Friday.
Juma, who had missed the last three international windows due to injury, has been undergoing individual training sessions to regain his fitness for his club Al-Jabalain, and even went on the club’s pre-season tour to Egypt.
Juma’s last appearance for Kenya came over a year ago in a 2-1 defeat to Qatar, and his most recent club outing was in April when he scored in Al Jabalain's 2-0 win over Al Jandal.
Firat will be closely assessing the former Kariobangi Sharks forward’s condition to determine whether he can be included in the squad for the crucial upcoming fixtures.
The training session consisted mainly of local-based players, as the foreign-based contingent is set to join next week after completing their club commitments.
However, Harambee Stars captain Michael Olunga, already in Kenya, is expected to link up with the squad over the weekend. Olunga has also been battling injuries, missing the last two qualifiers against Namibia and Zimbabwe, but has since returned to action with his Qatari club Al Duhail.
Coach Firat has expressed optimism about the potential availability of Ayub Timbe and defender Joseph Okumu for the qualifiers.
Timbe, who is still recovering from an injury, remains unavailable, but Firat emphasized his desire to have him back due to his "pace, trickery, and one-v-one ability."
Okumu, who has been sidelined with an abductor injury since last month’s clash against Namibia, has resumed training with Reims, but Firat will evaluate his fitness before making a final decision.
"They have just resumed training and may be available for our last leg of the qualifiers," Firat stated when asked about both Timbe and Okumu, hopeful that both players can play a role in the campaign.
Kenya is set to travel to Cameroon on Tuesday ahead of the first leg of the doubleheader in Yaoundé, which will take place on Friday. The return leg is scheduled for four days later in Kampala, Uganda, as the Harambee Stars aim to secure their spot in the 2025 AFCON tournament.
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