The head coach of the Kenya national team, Benni McCarthy, has reiterated his ambition for the Harambee Stars to progress beyond the group stage in the upcoming 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which will take place in East Africa.
The 36th edition of the tournament is set to be jointly hosted by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania from June 19 to July 18. This marks the first time in history that the AFCON will be held in three countries, and the first time in 50 years that it will take place in the CECAFA region since Ethiopia hosted it in 1976.
As the host nation, Kenya automatically qualifies as one of the 24 teams competing for the prestigious trophy, which is currently held by Senegal following their victory over Morocco in the controversial final of the 2025 edition held in Rabat.
With the draw for the tournament yet to be made, McCarthy, who managed the Harambee Stars during the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN)—a preparatory event co-hosted by the three East African nations—is already strategising for Kenya’s success.
Focus on Progressing Beyond the Group
McCarthy has expressed a clear goal for his team, emphasising that he aspires to see Kenya thrive in the tournament with a focus on advancing past the group stages.
“The primary concern is to get out of the group stages,” McCarthy stated in an interview with iDiski Times.
“It’s crucial not to falter as the host nation in the group stages. That would be a disastrous outcome for the tournament, particularly because it might deter fans from attending if their team is eliminated.”
The South African football legend, who is the all-time top scorer for the South African national team with 31 goals, added: “However, if the nation remains in contention, even if you can’t get tickets to watch your team, you would still want to see the other matches. But if we’re not competing, then there’s no incentive to attend.”
“Success for us would mean getting out of the group stages, and from there, taking it one game at a time to see how far we can go.”
Morocco’s AFCON Set a High Bar
While acknowledging the challenge ahead, McCarthy highlighted the recently completed AFCON in Morocco, which he believes has set a formidable standard for the 2027 hosts in East Africa.
“The level of play we witnessed during the last AFCON in Morocco was exceptional. The quality of the pitches allowed for a significant enhancement in the standard of football,” noted McCarthy, the only South African to win the UEFA Champions League, achieving that feat with Porto in 2004.
He concluded: “This makes our task quite challenging, but we will do our utmost to meet the goal of advancing past the group stages.”
This marks McCarthy’s second major tournament leading the Kenyan side since his appointment in March 2025.
During the CHAN under his guidance, Kenya was placed in Group A alongside Morocco, DR Congo, Zambia, and Angola. They managed a 1-0 victory over the Leopards and fought back to earn a 1-1 draw against the Palancas Negras.
On the final group matchday, Kenya faced Morocco, winning 1-0, before concluding their group stage with another 1-0 win over Zambia, thus finishing unbeaten and advancing to the knockout phases for the first time in their CHAN history.
Kenya’s journey in the Round of 16 ended with a narrow 1-0 defeat against Madagascar, who advanced to the final but ultimately lost to Morocco.
Having participated in the AFCON six times, Kenya stands as one of the more experienced teams from East Africa in the tournament, yet they have yet to break past the group stage in any AFCON edition.
Compiled by SportArena.au
Fanpage: SportArena.au.
LiveScore – Live Sports Results & Odds.
