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Manchester United legend Mark Hughes supports Clarke Oduor amidst doubts over his selection for Kenya's World Cup qualifiers.
Manchester United legend and current Bradford City manager, Mark Hughes, has expressed his concerns regarding the availability of their star player, Clarke Oduor, due to his international commitments with the Harambee Stars.
As the Kenyan national team gets set to embark on their World Cup qualifying campaign this November, facing adversaries Gabon and Seychelles, Bradford City faces the brunt of Oduor's potential absence.
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10:06 - 18.09.2023
STARS ABROAD Bradford City coach hits out at Engin Firat over ‘poor treatment’ of Clarke Oduor
The former Manchester City manager was not impressed by the way the attacking midfielder was handled by the Harambee Stars coach during Kenya’s loss to South Sudan
Unlike the Premier League and Championship, where matches are rescheduled to accommodate international breaks, the League Two fixtures continue as planned.
This clash in the calendar has clubs like Bradford City grappling with a considerable loss to their squad during vital fixtures.
“It’s difficult when we don’t have weekends off as a consequence of international weeks,” Mark Hughes mentioned, drawing attention to the challenge this poses as quoted on thetelegraphandargus.co.uk.
“It does impact us more than most. But we get the benefit of him when he’s not with his international team so we have to be comfortable with that.”
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21:00 - 05.09.2023
FOOTBALL: Ex-Leeds United midfielder included as Engin Firat names Harambee Stars traveling squad to face Qatar
The traveling party unsurprisingly consists mostly of foreign-based players, with only four local based players featuring in the squad.
Hughes' words come at a time when the dynamics between club and country assignments for players from the lower leagues are under sharp focus.
Clubs in England's fourth tier are often at a competitive disadvantage when their star players are called up for international duty.
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16:30 - 19.09.2023
STARS ABROAD Why Kenyan trio Joash Onyango, Duke Abuya, Elvis Rupia face another coach crisis
Ernst Middendorp resigns from Singida Big Stars after disagreements with management, leaving Kenyan trio Onyango, Abuya, and Rupia in limbo.
Adding a twist to this narrative is the recent exchange between Bradford City's coaching staff and the Kenyan national team's management.
Harambee Stars’ coach, Engin Firat, recently substituted Oduor during a friendly against South Sudan, a decision that Hughes found perplexing.
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12:40 - 09.08.2023
STARS ABROAD Kenyan midfielder on target as Bradford City advance to Carabao Cup second round
The Bantams scored all of their spot kicks with Kenyan winger Clarke Oduor converting the winning penalty.
While it is not uncommon for national team coaches to test different formations and strategies during friendlies, the surprise came from reports that Firat might reconsider Oduor's inclusion in future assignments.
Clarke Oduor, who had been absent from the Kenyan squad since his debut under Francis Kimanzi, was recently given a lifeline by Firat, who intended to assess the Bradford City midfielder's suitability to the national setup.
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11:46 - 06.08.2023
STARS ABROAD Clarke Oduor makes memorable debut for Bradford City in hard-fought contest
Former Barnsley star shows promise as Harambee Stars wing-back impresses on opening day.
The Harambee Stars are in Group F for the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, which includes formidable opponents such as Seychelles, Burundi, Gambia, Gabon, and Côte d’Ivoire.
The first round of matches is set to be played between 13th November and 21st November 2023 where a lot is at stake.
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07:45 - 07.09.2023
STARS ABROAD: The challenges Clarke Oduor had to surmount before Bradford City move
Kenyan international Clarke Oduor reflects on his challenges at Barnsley, finding success at Bradford City, and his national team aspirations.
Only the group winners will qualify directly, while the four best runners-up will fight for a slot in the CAF Play-Off tournament.
The subsequent victor will then have a shot in the FIFA Playoff tournament, all with the aspiration to earn a berth in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
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