Harambee Stars Stranded in South Africa Ahead of Crucial Lesotho Friendlies

Members of Kenya's national football team, Harambee Stars, were reportedly left waiting for several hours after arriving in Pretoria, South Africa, where they are set to play two international friendly matches.

Images initially published by sports journalist Kevin Teya on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, allegedly show the squad's arrival in Pretoria before they were taken to a lodging facility that some players reportedly considered below the standards expected for a national team.

Reports indicate that the players refused to stay at the venue and requested that alternative accommodation be arranged.

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) officials are then said to have found another hotel, where the photographs circulating online were reportedly captured. However, the situation allegedly became more complicated after issues concerning payment for the accommodation emerged between FKF representatives and hotel management.

Sources in Pretoria claim federation officials were unable to settle the required hotel costs immediately, resulting in the players remaining in the hotel lobby for more than three hours while the matter was being addressed.

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As of the time of writing, neither the Football Kenya Federation nor the Harambee Stars coaching staff had publicly commented on the alleged incident.

The incident is said to have occurred as the Kenyan national team intensifies preparations for a pair of international friendly fixtures against Lesotho in Pretoria.

Harambee Stars are scheduled to take on Lesotho in a two-match series, with the opening encounter slated for June 4 at Lucas Moripe Stadium. The teams will then meet again at the same venue on June 7.

The matches form part of head coach Benny McCarthy’s plans to further assess and strengthen his squad ahead of future competitions, including the qualification campaign for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

aurelia_the_billionaire

Then someone is busy taking billions for Ebola 😢

shelmie_muliro

When will it stop? For how long will this continue as we watch?

001_ngomo

While the chief Goon William Ruto is flying private jets 🛩️ costing Kenyan taxpayers 537 million shillings in 5days 🤣🤣🤣

christopherg266

And the government spent over 100 million on jamuhuri day that happened in less than 5 hours

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sarinamwangi

Harambee stars if Qatar, Turkey calls, pick up that call. Go where your visa is appreciated, go where your value is appreciated. This is unacceptable. They could even have put up in an Airbnb Don’t suffer on your knees.

The South Africa training camp comes after Kenya revised its original international schedule. Harambee Stars were initially set to play Kyrgyzstan and Palestine, but the Football Kenya Federation later announced changes to the fixtures, attributing the decision to logistical difficulties.

Head coach Benny McCarthy has also reshaped his squad since unveiling the preliminary list. Among those omitted from the final travelling party were Job Ochieng, Ronney Onyango, Amos Nondi and Brian Omondi, while several new players were drafted into the squad ahead of the trip to South Africa.

Before the team's departure, McCarthy emphasised that the friendly matches would provide a valuable opportunity for the technical bench to evaluate players, especially members of the diaspora contingent who have had limited chances to feature under the current setup.

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He added that the conclusion of the club season created the perfect window to assess fresh talent, broaden the player pool and continue assembling a stronger squad ahead of future international competitions, including the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualification campaign.

Source: Briefly News