Kenya’s Harambee Stars will kick off their campaign to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) with a home match against Zimbabwe in Nairobi, scheduled between September 2 and 10.
The draw, which placed Kenya in Group J alongside Cameroon, Namibia, and Zimbabwe, was conducted on June 4th in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Under head coach Engin Firat, Harambee Stars will host Zimbabwe’s Warriors for their first match before traveling to Windhoek to face Namibia in their second match.
Matchday three will see Kenya visiting the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon in Yaounde between October 7 and 15, followed by a home fixture against Cameroon in matchday four.
Following their encounters with Cameroon, Kenya will journey to play Zimbabwe’s Warriors away between November 11 and 19, concluding their preliminary matches with a home game against Namibia’s Brave Warriors during the same period.
Former Gor Mahia coach Bob Oyugi is optimistic about Kenya’s chances in the group, believing that with a well-structured strategy, they can advance to the next stage of the qualifiers.
“With proper strategy, yes, Kenya can make it from the pool, we only need to consider all teams as equal and plan well on how to approach them, according to their different environmental factors,” Oyugi said as quoted by Flashscore.
“Cameroon, Namibia, Zimbabwe, all play different styles, Kenyan players are individual talents that only need to train together long enough to acquire consistency, in simple terms, they need to train in a way that develops their individual, and group tactics within their chosen formation.”
Oyugi, who guided Gor Mahia to their eleventh Kenyan Premier League title in 1993, advised Firat on what to do ahead of the qualifiers, which will kick off in September 2024 and end in November 2024.
“All teams are good, including Kenya, and we only need points from those good teams, so the coach Engin (Firat) must study his players better, he should introduce his philosophy to the players, and develop team chemistry, and consistency, so that they ready by the time Kenya plays the first game,” added Oyugi, who coached the defunct Kenya Taitex Mills (KTM) and Thika United in the Premier League.
Kenya have participated in the AFCON six times, the first being in 1972. Their last appearance came in 2019, during the 32nd edition of the tournament in Egypt, where they finished third in Group C which also had Algeria, Senegal, and Tanzania.
Harambee Stars lost their opener 2-0 against Algeria, recovered to beat neighbours Taifa Stsrs 3-2 before losing 3-0 against the Lions of Teranga to exit at the group stage.
