NAIROBI, Nov. 4 -- Kenyan international forward Pistone Mutamba is among 18 local players who made the final squad of national U-23 side Emerging Stars unveiled on Sunday.
According to Football Kenya Federation, four foreign-based players will link up with the team when it reports to camp on Friday in Nairobi.
The team is preparing for the first round of the upcoming Africa U-23 Cup of Nations qualifiers where Kenya will host Mauritius in the first leg on Nov. 14 before traveling for the return fixture four days later.
Speaking on Sunday, the team's head coach and former senior side boss, Francis Kimanzi conceded trimming the squad from 57 presented the technical bench with a headache.
"It was quite challenging because we had quality players in each and every position, but alongside my technical bench as well as the senior national team coach (Sebastien Migne) and his assistant (Nicolas Borriquet-Cor) we have come up with 18 players who will hit camp next week," he noted.
The final squad is set to take part in a two-day open session on Tuesday and Wednesday before reporting to camp on Friday ahead of the first leg of their clash with Mauritius.
The winner of the tie on aggregate will proceed to the second round, with a third round also in line. The Africa U-23 finals will be played in November 2019, in Egypt, will act as a qualifier to the 2020 Olympics.