{"id":152912,"date":"2025-11-11T19:58:44","date_gmt":"2025-11-11T19:58:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/kenya\/all-news\/abuya-eyes-big-return-for-madagascar-comoros-friendlies"},"modified":"2025-11-11T20:38:59","modified_gmt":"2025-11-11T20:38:59","slug":"abuya-eyes-big-return-for-madagascar-comoros-friendlies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/kenya\/all-news\/abuya-eyes-big-return-for-madagascar-comoros-friendlies","title":{"rendered":"Abuya Eyes Big Return for Madagascar Comoros Friendlies"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Kenya. <\/strong><\/span>Duke Abuya is back in Kenya colours \u2014 and the midfield ace says he\u2019s returning hungrier, sharper and ready to explode in the Harambee Stars engine room.<\/p>\n

The Yanga SC dynamo is in Benni McCarthy\u2019s 24-man squad for the November friendlies in Antalya, Turkey, where Kenya face Equatorial Guinea on November 14 and Senegal four days later. And the 30-year-old couldn\u2019t hide his fire.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy expectation is simple \u2014 I want to make an impact,\u201d he said. \u201cI feel ready. I feel strong. I want to help the team and show what I\u2019ve become.\u201d<\/p>\n

Abuya isn\u2019t new to the national team. But this recall? It\u2019s personal. The return is not about novelty; it is about timing. It comes like a tide rolling back to shore, carrying with it the years, the scars, the lessons \u2014 and the clarity that only a long journey can carve into a footballer\u2019s soul.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is not my first time with Harambee Stars,\u201d he said. \u201cBut this one hits differently. I\u2019ve grown. I\u2019ve seen tougher leagues. I\u2019ve been tested. Now I\u2019m back as a better player.\u201d<\/p>\n

And he admits he didn\u2019t see it coming. \u201cTo be honest, I didn\u2019t expect it now,\u201d he said. “Kenya has a lot of quality in midfield. When I saw my name, I just thanked God. Hard work never hides. It paid off.\u201d<\/p>\n

Abuya insists the Antalya friendlies are anything but casual kickabouts. \u201cThese games are massive for us,\u201d he said. \u201cMadagascar, Comoros \u2014 these boys don\u2019t joke. We must show Kenya is progressing. Discipline, hunger, everything.\u201d<\/p>\n

He\u2019s not flying to Turkey to warm the bench either. \u201cI respect everyone in midfield,\u201d he said. \u201cBut I\u2019m not here to fill numbers. Even if I get five minutes, I\u2019ll give everything. I\u2019m ready to fight.\u201d<\/p>\n

The midfielder\u2019s revival has been forged in the noisy cauldron of Young Africans SC \u2014 where pressure, expectations and packed stadiums are the daily norm.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt Yanga, you can\u2019t hide,\u201d he said. \u201cEvery week is a test. Every match is a war. That intensity changed me.\u201d<\/p>\n

He says Tanzania\u2019s top league hardened him. \u201cThe league is fast. It\u2019s technical. You must stay calm under pressure. I\u2019ve grown tactically and mentally. That\u2019s what I\u2019m bringing back to Harambee Stars.\u201d<\/p>\n

Abuya\u2019s path hasn\u2019t been smooth. It\u2019s been scrap after scrap. From the dusty fields of Eldoret\u2019s GFE 105, to Mathare United\u2019s academy of survival, to Kariobangi Sharks\u2019 fearless football \u2014 then a tough stint at Zambia\u2019s Nkana FC before landing in Tanzania with Singida, Ihefu and now Yanga.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s been everywhere. He\u2019s seen everything.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you wear the Kenyan jersey and the anthem plays, it hits you hard,\u201d he said. \u201cYou remember where you came from. The sacrifices. The struggles. That\u2019s why this call-up means so much.\u201d<\/p>\n

With the Turkish friendlies looming, Abuya sent a message straight from the heart.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe feel the support from home,\u201d he said. \u201cWe feel the expectations too. All we ask is unity. We\u2019re building something under the coach. With time, people will see it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m ready to fight for the badge, for my family and for every young Kenyan who thinks the dream is far away. If you work, the door opens. I\u2019m proof of that.\u201d<\/p>\n

For More News And Analysis About Kenya<\/span> Follow Africa-Press<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Kenya. Duke Abuya is back in Kenya colours \u2014 and the midfield ace says he\u2019s returning hungrier, sharper and ready to explode in the Harambee Stars engine room. The Yanga SC dynamo is in Benni McCarthy\u2019s 24-man squad for the November friendlies in Antalya, Turkey, where Kenya face Equatorial Guinea on November 14 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":152911,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,17],"tags":[544],"class_list":["post-152912","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-sport","tag-kenya"],"yoast_head":"\nAbuya Eyes Big Return for Madagascar Comoros Friendlies - kenya<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Duke Abuya is back in Kenya colours \u2014 and the midfield ace says he\u2019s returning hungrier, sharper and ready to explode in ...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/kenya\/all-news\/abuya-eyes-big-return-for-madagascar-comoros-friendlies\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Abuya Eyes Big Return for Madagascar Comoros Friendlies\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Duke Abuya is back in Kenya colours \u2014 and the midfield ace says he\u2019s returning hungrier, sharper and ready to explode in ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/kenya\/all-news\/abuya-eyes-big-return-for-madagascar-comoros-friendlies\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"kenya\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AfricaPressTunisiaa\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-11-11T19:58:44+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-11-11T20:38:59+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/kenya\/sites\/28\/2025\/11\/sm_1762880848.163285.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1728\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1151\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/kenya\/all-news\/abuya-eyes-big-return-for-madagascar-comoros-friendlies#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/kenya\/all-news\/abuya-eyes-big-return-for-madagascar-comoros-friendlies\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"cfeditoren\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/kenya\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"headline\":\"Abuya Eyes Big Return for Madagascar Comoros Friendlies\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-11-11T19:58:44+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-11-11T20:38:59+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/kenya\/all-news\/abuya-eyes-big-return-for-madagascar-comoros-friendlies\"},\"wordCount\":583,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/kenya\/all-news\/abuya-eyes-big-return-for-madagascar-comoros-friendlies#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/kenya\/sites\/28\/2025\/11\/sm_1762880848.163285.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Kenya\"],\"articleSection\":[\"all news\",\"sport\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/kenya\/all-news\/abuya-eyes-big-return-for-madagascar-comoros-friendlies#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/kenya\/all-news\/abuya-eyes-big-return-for-madagascar-comoros-friendlies\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/kenya\/all-news\/abuya-eyes-big-return-for-madagascar-comoros-friendlies\",\"name\":\"Abuya Eyes Big Return for Madagascar Comoros Friendlies - 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