NAIROBI, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's Harambee Stars head coach Sebastien Migne has made several surprise calls in his bloated 38-member squad ahead of their clash against Ghana in the Africa Nations Cup qualifier in Nairobi on Sept 8.
The French coach has given call-ups to Sweden's Martizburg defender Brian Mandela despite him serving a suspension. Others are Musa Mohammed, Aboud Omar, Joseph Okumu and Eric Ouma.
"We have also called up Maritzburg defender Brian Mandela, who is, however, suspended for the match, to assess him in preparation for future engagements," said Coach Migne, Tuesday in Nairobi.
Also making a surprise show on Migne's list is captain Victor Wanyama, who has not featured for his Tottenham team as he is carrying a knee injury. His brother McDonald Mariga has also been called up, alongside Jesse Were and Duncan Otieno.
Kenya lost to Sierra Leone away last year, and need to beat Ghana's Black Stars at home to stand a chance of qualifying for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.
Migne in a statement said he has opted to call for 19 local based players and 19 plying their trade in foreign leagues.
However, the big miss is Chinese Super League side Beijing Renhe winger Ayub Timbe. Instead Migne will rely on Micheal Olunga, who recently signed for J-League in Japan, un-attached Masoud Juma and Jesse Were as the main strikers.
Local based players are set to hit camp on September 2, 2018, ahead of the tie, with their foreign-based counterparts scheduled to link up with the team starting Sept. 3.
