Harambee Stars Legend Questions Benni McCarthy After Surprise Dropping of Michael Olunga

Harambee Stars legend Dennis Oliech has strongly criticised the Harambee Stars' technical staff for excluding star striker Michael Olunga from the squad set to play two friendly matches during the November FIFA international window.

The national team is scheduled to face Equatorial Guinea on November 14 and Senegal on November 18 in Antalya, Turkey.

However, the squad announced by head coach Benni McCarthy notably omitted Michael Olunga, sparking widespread debate among Kenyan fans who questioned the decision to leave out a fully fit captain.

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The omission is particularly significant as Michael Olunga is on the verge of a major milestone. With 34 goals for the national team, he is just one goal away from matching William ‘Chege’ Ouma's record of 35. These friendlies would have provided a prime opportunity for him to break that long-standing record.

Dennis Oliech, who retired from international football in 2016 as Kenya's second-highest scorer with 34 goals, insisted that Michael Olunga should remain a fixture in the team until he personally decides to retire.

"Olunga deserves to be in the Harambee Stars squad," Dennis Oliech stated in an interview with Flash Score.

"The coach doesn't deserve to leave Olunga out because he is the leading captain and the best striker for Kenya.

"Until Olunga says, 'I have retired,' that is when he should be left out of the squad. Having Olunga in the squad, with the experience he has, will motivate the young players in the team."

Dennis Oliech, whose professional career included stints in France with Nantes and AJ Auxerre, also expressed concern over the general lack of experienced players in the squad that departed for Turkey on Thursday.

"It is unfortunate that Kenya is going to Turkey without experienced players. Even the young players will feel burdened with the opportunity of playing minus experienced players guiding them," he explained.

"If you have experienced players in your team, they don't need to start a game; they can come from the bench and make a huge impact. This will motivate the young players because they need to learn from someone, and that someone is an experienced player. For me, I still believe Olunga is part and parcel of the national team and should not be ignored."

He concluded, "In the next two to three years, Olunga deserves to play for Kenya. Until he says, 'No, I can’t run anymore, it is my time to retire,' that is when we will accept."

These friendlies follow Kenya's recent 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, where they secured a 1-0 victory over Burundi before suffering a 3-0 defeat to the reigning African champions Ivory Coast.