NAIROBI, May 31 (Xinhua) -- The Kenya soccer team, Harambee Stars, has departed for Paris, France for a three-week training camp ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) which will be held in Egypt from June 21 to July 19.
Only 12 players jetted out from Nairobi while the remaining 15 are set to link up with the team later this week in the French capital.
Head coach Sebastien Migne has reshuffled his squad saying they are the best at the moment to carry out the assignment. It is the first time Kenya is returning to the AFCON after 15 years' hiatus.
One of the big names that Migne has dropped is veteran striker Allan Wanga.
"Wanga lost interest and did not show the hunger and fight I wanted in a striker. I will play each game differently in Egypt especially against Algeria and Senegal where we will need someone who can create space and it is a thing that I was looking at when naming the strikers," said the French coach.
The coach has also named injured Paul Were in his squad for the training camp.
"Were has an issue with a hamstring but he has shown me from the last 10 days that he can still fight to remain in the team. We travel with him to France and will assess his situation there same as Clifton Miheso, who will travel to make a squad of 27 and not 26 as we had earlier planned. I have extra space for one more player hence the decision to take a squad of 27," added the coach.
Kenya is pooled alongside Algeria, Senegal and Tanzania and seeks to be among the top two teams from the group that will proceed to the round of 16.
They will play two friendly matches, one against Madagascar on June 7, in Paris and the Democratic Republic of Congo a week later, on June 15, 2019, in Madrid, Spain. Enditem
