Harambee Stars coach breaks silence on Moses Shumah’s national team snub
By Luke Oluoch, June 8, 2026Harambee Stars assistant coach Vasil Masounakis has broken his silence on the absence of in-form, Zambian-based striker Moses Shumah from the national team squad.
The former Kakamega Homeboyz ace has been in scintillating form in Zambia, bagging the league’s Golden Boot with 21 goals as he single-handedly led Power Dynamos to their ninth league title. Despite his goalscoring heroics, Shumah has remained noticeably absent from the recent squad selections named by head coach Benni McCarthy.
Masounakis acknowledged that the technical bench is well aware of the marksman’s exploits in Zambia, adding that his absence from the national team was down to timing.
Finding his feet
“Moses Shumah is doing very well in Zambia. He is a good player and has had an incredible season, scoring loads of goals. He is a talented finisher who is great at getting in behind defenders. Unfortunately, for most of the time we were playing our qualifiers, he was still finding his feet over there, and we already had fierce competition upfront with Michael Olunga and Jonah Ayunga,” Masounakis stated.
Shumah’s last national team call-up came on the heels of a 17-goal haul that earned him the top scorer award in the Football Kenya Premier League, just prior to his transfer to the Zambian top flight.
He was named alongside Ryan Ogam, Bajaber Mohammed, and David Sakwa in a strong-looking attack for the 2024 African Cup of Nations games. The switch, nonetheless, rendered him a foreign-based player, thus barring him from the locally based stars.
The striker was also initially called up for the squad for the 2025 Mapinduzi Cup slated for January in Zanzibar.
Following his latest clinical run, the poacher has attracted serious transfer interest from several South African Premier Soccer League (PSL) clubs, with AmaZulu reportedly leading the chase. It remains to be seen whether he will depart the Zambian top-tier after a record-breaking debut season.
Masounakis concluded with a word of advice for Shumah, urging him to remain dedicated to his craft and stay patient.
“If he lands at AmaZulu, he will be a fantastic addition. As long as he keeps himself grounded and stays honest to his trade, he will be an asset wherever he goes,” the coach explained.