Boost for Benni McCarthy: 5 January 2026 Transfers That Could Lift Harambee Stars at AFCON 2027

Kenyan football has received a big lift in the January transfer window following the moves of a number of players to clubs abroad.

Kenyan players are always on the lookout for better-paying opportunities overseas but in January 2026, it has been exciting with many youngsters not just moving clubs but transferring to high-profile leagues.

This is giving Kenyans hope that the 2027 Africa Cup could see an improved performance from Benni McCarthy’s Harambee Stars because of the exposure these players will be subjected to in the next one year before the tournament that the country will co-host alongside Uganda and Tanzania.

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Pulse Sports highlights the big-money January 2026 transfers that could lift Harambee Stars at AFCON 2027.

Harambee Stars defender Collins Sichenje signed for English Championship side Charlton Athletic on Monday, beginning a new chapter after two years at Serbian club FK Vojvodina.

Sichenje signed a three-and-a-half-year contract after Charlton agreed a transfer fee of €1.9 million (Ksh288.933 million) with Vojvodina and will be looking to hit the ground running in England with his potential debut set to be on Friday against Queens Park Rangers.

The former AFC Leopards defender has eight caps for Harambee Stars and will hope the experience gained in England will help him lift the national team.

Another defender who moved clubs in the English Championship, centre-back Zak Vyner traded Bristol City for big-spending Wrexham AFC.

The 28-year-old played all his career at Bristol, albeit with loan stints at Accrington Stanley, Plymouth, Rotherham United and Aberdeen, but sealed a Ksh231 million transfer to Wrexham after turning down a new contract offer.

Vyner earned a Harambee Stars call-up in 2024 but did not play due to passport complications. However, McCarthy already indicated that he has him on his radar and with Wrexham pushing for Premier League promotion, he could be vital at AFCON 2027.

Harambee Stars utility man Manzur Okwaro sealed a transfer to French second tier side Stade de Reims, joining compatriot Joseph Okumu at the club.

Okwaro had spent the last six months at Nairobi United but Reims snapped him up, having tracked his performances since the 2024 African Nations Championships (CHAN 2024).

A defender by trade, who has excelled in central midfield, Okwaro will start at Reims’ second-string side as he works his way into the senior team and will bring valuable experience to the national team.

Former Gor Mahia midfielder Austin Odhiambo finally secured his highly-awaited move abroad when he linked up with fellow Kenyans Anthony Akumu and Masud Juma at Lebanese giants Nejmeh SC.

Gor Mahia are reported to have received Ksh8 million for the playmaker who is looking to make a success of his career in Lebanon with an eye on a great show for the national team at next year’s tournament.

Although he has yet to earn a national team call-up, defender Amos Wanjala is knocking on the door and calls for his inclusion will now get louder after signing for Spanish side Valencia.

Wanjala has followed in the footsteps of Celta Vigo’s Aldrine Kibet after both honed their skills at Nastic Academy in Tarragona, Spain and while he will also start in the second-string side, it might not be long before he makes his La Liga debut.

Certainly, one for the future, Wanjala’s experience in Spain will rub off positively on the national team whether it is at AFCON 2027 or after.