Boost for Benni McCarthy? Harambee Stars Prospect Close to Returning from Long-Term Injury

Harambee Stars coach Benni McCarthy will soon have another foreign-born player to potentially call upon following news that midfielder Eliot Matazo is close to returning from a nasty injury.

Matazo, who plays for English Championship club Hull City, has been out of action since February when he suffered a career-threatening ACL injury, but he is now nearing his return which is a boost to his club and potentially Kenya.

The midfielder was projected to return in December but he is in line for a comeback in November although his coach Sergej Jakirovic is keen on a slow integration into the team rather than rushing him back.

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“It’s going well, and he promised me he will be back in November, but we’ll see. I hope he will be back next month, but my experience with Mo Belloumi and Liam Millar tells me it will probably be December, if everything goes well,” Jakirovic told Hull Live.

Matazo is eligible to play for Harambee Stars as he is born to a Kenyan mother and Congolese father and has turned out for Belgium at junior level with no call-up to the senior side yet.

With Harambee Stars boss McCarthy having handed call-ups to a number of players born abroad and eligible to turn out of Kenya, Matazo is another option that he could tempt ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.

It is, however, not certain if the 23-year-old fancies turning out for Kenya or if he has his eyes set on the Red Devils but his development and performances at Hull City will be watched closely by those in Kenya.

Matazo joined Hull in January 2025 from French club Monaco, where he had made 84 appearances, scoring two goals while providing three assists, and had only played six matches for the Tigers before the injury struck.