The German-based forward was reported to have pledged his international future to Kenya but is now set to play for the United States at a major tournament.
Harambee Stars prospect Andre Kenete Gitau has been included in the United States’ team for the upcoming CONCACAF U20 Championship amid reports of pledging his international future to Kenya.
Gitau, who was born in the US to Kenyan parents, plays for German side 1. FSV Mainz 05 II in the Regionalliga Sudwest, and has been sounded out by Football Kenya Federation (FKF) with a view to representing Kenya.
The left winger was among players who met a team led by FKF vice President McDonald Mariga and Harambee Stars coach Benni McCarthy in March as they tried to convince foreign-born players with Kenyan roots to commit their international futures to the country ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
At the time, it was reported that Gitau had agreed to play for Harambee Stars although he is yet to earn a call-up from McCarthy, missing out on the Kenyan squads in March as well as the upcoming international window in June.
Gitau has represented the United States at U16, U17, U18, and U20 levels, the last for which he has one appearance, which came in November 2025, but he is set for a major tournament after making coach Rob Valentino’s 20-player roster for June’s training camp ahead of the CONCACAF U20 Championship.
The camp will take place in Bansko, Bulgaria with the Americans facing Georgia’s U21 side on June 5 and North Macedonia’s U21 squad on June 8 in build-up matches ahead of the CONCACAF U20 Championships which will take place in Mexico from July 25-August 9.
Team USA, which features players from 17 different clubs, 11 of those being from MLS, are in Group A where they will face Cuba, El Salvador and Haiti with the top four sides from the tournament earning tickets to the 2027 FIFA U20 World Cup in Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan.
Gitau is among six forwards selected by Valentino and will be looking to impress. While he is still eligible to play for Kenya, the 19-year-old could still end up representing the United States at senior level, especially if he lights up the U20 tournament.
It remains to be seen if the reported deal with Kenya will hold or whether his latest call-up is the first step towards playing the United States’ senior team.
A Kenyan court has suspended a US-backed plan to establish a quarantine facility for Americans…
Absa Bank Kenya PLC has posted a profit after tax of KSh5.3 billion and achieved…
M-Pesa processed over $450 billion in transactions in 2025. It started in 2007 as…
Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has been tasked to oversee Kenya’s Ebola preparedness efforts as…
Why do some citizens trust their governments while others do not? In sub-Saharan Africa, where…
A deep dive into why Africa's most successful mobile money export is generating modest per-user…