Harambee Stars face welfare and administrative concerns as Benni McCarthy reveals player withdrawals ahead of Saturday’s match against Eritrea.
Kenya’s preparations for Saturday’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Eritrea are being overshadowed by unpaid allowances, unresolved work permit matters and player withdrawals, according to a report by The Standard.
Harambee Stars head coach Benni McCarthy disclosed the difficulties as the national team also faced reports that players had declined to train over outstanding payments and concerns about their welfare.
The issues place both the team’s administrative arrangements and the treatment of players under scrutiny ahead of the fixture. However, the available report does not establish whether the payment dispute or the reported training refusal has since been resolved.
Outstanding allowances at centre of dispute
The Standard reported that players were demanding settlement of allowances owed to them. They were also seeking answers from the Sports Ministry about their welfare while on international duty.
Those demands reportedly led to players refusing to take part in training. The training refusal remains a reported development in the available account, rather than an incident supported by a detailed statement from the players.
The report does not specify the amount outstanding, the period covered by the allowances or how many players were involved in the reported refusal. It also provides no payment deadline or explanation for the delay.
McCarthy raises permit and availability concerns
Alongside the allowances dispute, McCarthy highlighted work permit issues that had yet to be settled. The available account does not identify whose permits were affected or explain the administrative steps needed to resolve the matter.
The coach also revealed that a growing number of players were withdrawing from international duty. No names or exact number of withdrawals were included in the supplied report.
It is therefore not clear which players will be unavailable against Eritrea. Nor does the report establish that every withdrawal is connected to the unpaid allowances or the work permit concerns. Those issues should be treated as separate elements of the difficulties McCarthy described unless further information links them.
Eritrea fixture approaches amid uncertainty
The immediate focus remains Saturday’s match, but the disclosures show that Kenya’s build-up involves questions beyond selection and on-field preparation. Payments, player welfare and administrative matters are all part of the concerns surrounding the camp.
The available report contains no response from the Sports Ministry to the players’ demands and no confirmation that the permit problems have been addressed.
For now, McCarthy’s account points to an unsettled preparation period for Harambee Stars, with the status of outstanding allowances, reported training disruption and player availability still requiring clarification before the Eritrea fixture.
