By Kimathi Kamau
NAIROBI, March 19 (Xinhua) -- Nine Kenyan based players departed the country on Monday for Morocco where they will link up with their teammates for two international friendlies later this week.
Kenya are due to play Comoros and the Central African Republic in their first outing since Belgian Paul Put resigned from the head coach role of the country's team.
Led by interim boss, Stanley Okumbi, who has to stand down for Put when he was appointed last November, Kenya will play Comoros on Saturday before taking on Central Africa Republic two days later in the Moroccan city of Marrakech.
Tottenham Hotspur midfielder and team captain, Victor Wanyama and striker Michael Olunga who scored in their 6-3 defeat to Spanish LaLiga champions Real Madrid on Sunday are among the top foreign based players who will join the side in Morocco.
Three players from domestic champions, Gor Mahia FC- Harun Shakava, Francis Kahata and Samuel Onyango will link up with the national team in Morocco having played for their team on Sunday in a 1-0 defeat in neighbouring Tunisia against Esperance in the CAF Champions League.
"Foreign-based players, who make up the better part of the squad are set to check in later in the week, in time for the friendly matches," the Football Kenya Federation said in a statement.
Retired Dutch international defender and former coach of World Cup bound Egypt, Rudi Krol is heavily linked with the vacant head coach role with Okumbi having not convinced when he was surprisingly handed the position in Feb. last year.
His position became untenable as the man to lead the country' s bid to qualify for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations when Kenya lost two international friendlies to Iraq and Thailand last Oct.
Okumbi lost the opening qualifier 2-1 to Sierra Leone in July last year.
