Zak Vyner, a defender for Bristol City, has announced that he plans to represent Kenya at the Africa Cup of Nations, which is scheduled for later in 2019.
The centre defender, who was raised in Bath and born in London, is proud of his East African heritage. He qualifies through his mother. In homage to his African middle name, he called his apparel line, which debuted earlier this year, “
.”
Although Vyner was not formally included in the Harambee Stars’ preliminary roster for their next World Cup qualifiers against Ivory Coast on June 4 and Burundi on June 7, head coach Engin Firat has hinted that he may add a few players who have not yet been revealed to the team.
During the 2023–24 season, Vyner made 41 appearances for City, starting 35 Championship games. His only absences were from two games, in September and April, because of knee ailments.
After making a reputation for himself during Nigel Pearson’s tenure at the club and winning Players’ Player of the Season for the 2022–2023 season, the 27-year-old, who inked a new three-year contract last summer, has continued to be a pillar of the Robins defence under Liam Manning.
Since the Africa Cup of Nations is being held in Morocco and the exact dates have not yet been announced, City may find themselves in a precarious selection situation if he manages to establish himself as a regular starter for Kenya.
The Ivory Coast tournament’s most recent iteration took place from January 13 to February 11. In order to avoid conflict with the European domestic season, CAF (Confederation of African Football) had originally planned to hold the event in the middle of the year. However, that would have clashed with FIFA’s expanded Club World Cup, which is taking place in the United States from June 15 to July 13.
In February, the AFP news agency was informed by an unidentified CAF official that a decision had been made in principle for it to happen in July or August.
September is when AFCON qualification begins, and it takes place over the three planned international breaks that follow the summer. Kenya, who was prohibited by FIFA for interfering with national team competitions, hence missed out on qualifying for the 2023 AFCON, have
Max O’Leary, a City teammate and boyhood friend of Vyner, has managed to regain his spot in the Republic of Ireland team for their upcoming friendlies against Hungary and Portugal.
Although O’Leary has not yet received a cap, he has been left out of recent squads after making his debut in the international setup in 2019. The 27-year-old, who started all 52 of City’s games, had a fantastic season. John O’Shea, the temporary head coach, has picked four goalkeepers.
The 26-man group also includes former City players Callum O’Dowda and Sammie Szmodics, as well as former transfer targets Jake O’Brien and Finn Azaz. Jason Knight and Mark Sykes, who work for the Robins, are also members of this group.
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