Shabana FC winger Darius Msagha has expressed deep frustration after missing out on a place in Kenya’s Harambee Stars squad for the African Nations Championship (CHAN) qualifier against South Sudan due to passport renewal delays.
Initially selected by head coach Engin Firat, Msagha was later dropped when he could not provide his passport by the deadline on Wednesday.
The Harambee Stars departed for Juba on Friday for the first leg of the qualifiers, scheduled for Sunday at Juba Stadium.
The return leg will take place on November 3 at Uganda’s Mandela National Stadium, with the winner advancing to face either Rwanda or Djibouti in the next round.
While his teammates took to the skies, Msagha’s dream of representing Kenya was left grounded, and he admits the missed opportunity is a bitter lesson in preparedness.
Reflecting on the missed chance, Msagha shared in an exclusive interview with SportsBoom, “It is unfortunate that I was locked out of the national team due to lack of a passport.
My passport expired in 2022, and I applied for a new one on Monday.
Sadly, it wasn’t out before Wednesday, which was the final day of submitting it to the federation. I wish I could have renewed it long ago.”
Msagha, who last used his passport during his time at Bandari for the CAF Confederation Cup in 2019, recounted his last-minute attempt to renew the document.
He rushed to the Immigration Office in Kisii on Monday, hoping for an expedited process, but ultimately failed to secure it in time.
Football Kenya Federation had made it clear that players shortlisted for the South Sudan game needed to submit their valid passports by Wednesday, but Msagha and two other players missed the deadline.
Coach Firat confirmed the situation, saying, “It is true there were three players who had passport problems, including him (Msagha).
It wasn’t solved in time and hence difficult in traveling.”
The setback has left Msagha reflective, describing the omission from the squad as a wake-up call.
He urged fellow players to ensure their documentation is always up-to-date.
I have learnt my lesson the hard way.
will do better next time. This should send a message to fellow players on the importance of having documents throughout,” he said.
Msagha’s experience is not isolated.
Earlier this year, Coach Firat highlighted similar issues with passport delays, particularly for players in the diaspora.
In June, both Tobias Knost and Zax Vyner missed out on World Cup qualifiers against Burundi and Ivory Coast due to unprocessed passports.
Despite the setback, Msagha remains optimistic about his future with the national team and hopes his performances with Shabana will keep him in contention.
The winger, who joined Shabana after scoring eleven goals with Sofapaka last season, has ambitions to rejoin the national side for future CHAN matches and other major tournaments.
“I promise to score goals and accomplish my dream of playing for the national team.
I want to play in the final round of the qualifiers and the tournament.
I also have dreams of playing in serious qualifiers and tournaments with the senior team,” he added.
Msagha’s misfortune serves as a reminder of the importance of maintaining documentation, especially as Kenya’s CHAN campaign progresses.
