Kevin ‘Ade’ Omondi questions Harambee Stars Legends squad selection ahead of Arsenal clash

Former Harambee Stars winger Kevin ‘Ade’ Omondi has openly questioned the selection of the Kenya Legends squad assembled for Friday’s, November 13, 2026, high-profile Legends Cup clash against Arsenal Legends at Nyayo National Stadium.

Speaking in a recorded video on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, Omondi made a case for the inclusion of his former international teammate Patrick Oboya, suggesting that the former Harambee Stars attacker deserved consideration for the squad that will face the former English Premier League giants.

The much-anticipated encounter is scheduled for Friday, November 13, 2026, with kick-off set for 7:00 pm at Nyayo Stadium. Former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Victor Wanyama will captain the Kenyan side, while Nigerian and Arsenal great Nwankwo Kanu will lead the visitors.

The Kenya Legends squad features several celebrated former internationals, including Wanyama, McDonald Mariga, Dennis Oliech, Musa Otieno, Allan Wanga, Francis Kahata, John Bobby Ogola, JJ Masiga and Mahmoud Abbas, among others. Jacob ‘Ghost’ Mulee has been named head coach.

However, Oboya’s absence has raised questions, particularly from those who remember his contribution to one of the most successful periods in Harambee Stars’ modern history.

“We have just seen what happened; it is not right. Oboya deserves to be in that legends squad. There are people that we have seen in that squad that do not deserve to be there, and we are used to it because this is Kenya; that is how it goes. We see the abnormal as normal; are you not seeing it as normal? Oboya was among the team that was ranked 68th; that was the time Kenya was ranked the best during Kimazi’s time,” he complained.

Omondi’s argument centres on Oboya’s role in the generation that helped Kenya reach its best-ever FIFA ranking.

“Seeing that Oboya is not included in the legends squad does not sit well with us. Tunaona tu kumbe sio huko juu, mpaka huku chini pia pia kuna hizi fitina ndogo ndogo na ni mabya, watu ni watu wazee, kila mtu aitwe na kazi alifanya,” he said.

Kenya climbed to 68th in the FIFA rankings in December 2008 after an impressive run in the 2010 World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. The Stars won three matches, drew one and lost two to finish second in their qualifying group behind Guinea. The campaign was overseen by Kimanzi, who was then in charge of the national team.

Oboya was part of that era and subsequently became one of the more recognisable attacking players of his generation. The former international played as a left winger and centre-forward and earned 29 FIFA appearances for Kenya, according to National-Football-Teams.com.

In a 2021 interview, Oboya himself reflected on that period, describing Kenya’s 68th-place ranking under Kimanzi as his best memory with the national team. He also recalled playing alongside stars such as Dennis Oliech, McDonald Mariga and Jamal Mohammed.

Omondi’s push for Oboya therefore comes against the backdrop of a generation that produced some of the most memorable Harambee Stars performances of the 2000s.

Oboya’s international record includes appearances during the very period that remains a reference point for Kenyan football.

He scored twice in FIFA-recognised matches for Harambee Stars, with his international career spanning 2007 to 2012. His record also includes several appearances during the 2008 campaign.

His most memorable moments included his famous goal against Angola at Nyayo, a match he later described as his best game in national-team colours. Oboya said Oliech encouraged him to shoot before he eventually found the net.

That history gives weight to the argument that the Legends squad should not only be viewed through the lens of more recent stars but also recognise players who played significant roles in earlier generations.

The selection debate comes as Kenya prepares for one of its biggest football nostalgia events in recent years.

The Arsenal side is expected to bring a star-studded delegation featuring the likes of Kanu, Bacary Sagna, Gervinho, Alex Song, Yaya Sanogo, Tony Adams, Robert Pirès, Ashley Cole, Gilberto Silva, Santi Cazorla and Theo Walcott.

The match will also be broadcast live on SuperSport, giving supporters unable to attend Nyayo an opportunity to watch the former stars in action.

The Arsenal delegation will remain in Kenya beyond Friday’s match, with a football coaching clinic scheduled for Saturday, November 14, at Crawford International School.

For Omondi, however, the attention is not only on the glamour of facing Arsenal. His questioning of the squad selection has reopened a debate over who should be considered a true representative of Kenya’s football history.

And with Oboya having been part of the generation that reached Kenya’s record FIFA ranking of 68th, his omission is likely to remain a talking point as the Legends Cup approaches. 

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