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Harambee Stars players during training.
Harambee Stars head coach Benni McCarthy believes that by the time Kenya hosts the Pamoja Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) 2027 tournament jointly with Uganda and Tanzania, his team will be ready to deliver.
McCarthy was speaking after watching the Kenyan senior men’s national football team holding European side Estonia to a one-all draw and just losing on penalties, in a FIFA Series match played at the Amahoro Stadium in Kigali, Rwanda on Friday.
For the Harembee Stars, there’s a bigger picture to these games, as they continue to prepare for Afcon 2027, against quality opposition.
“This is a team that played against Italy. This is a team that faced Haaland and played against Norway. They’ve played against really good opposition. We’re only a small African country in East Africa, but we showed today that we are making progress in the right direction. That’s all I want for my team. It is that we make progression, and when 2027 comes, we’ll be ready,” said McCarthy.
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“Listen, in the first half I was a little bit disappointed because I think we started very lacklustre. But I think as the game went on, in the second half we started getting our momentum and then in the second half I just said to the boys we not playing with the same desire that I know we can. We just need to have more movement off the ball, move into space if you want to receive the ball”
“You have to get into a position where you make the run because where they come from in the second half they will be fatigued, they will get tired, and the space will open for us. Then we will just play better. I think in the second half we were by far the most dominant team. We moved well, we got into good areas, where we scored the goal, the equaliser, and we could’ve won it twice.”
Kenya showed some guts last year in the CHAN tournament, and McCarthy says it’s now all about learning to take their chances and be composed in the final third.
Following the confirmation from the CAF President that the next AFCON in East Africa next year will be expanded to 28 teams and that the Pamoja countries will receive substantial support, McCarthy is also banking on the Kenyan Football Federation (FKF) coming through with the preparatory matches.
