Kenya is set to host three high-profile 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches, barely a week after concluding the month-long African Nations Championships (CHAN).
With the CHAN final set to conclude on Saturday, August 30 at the Moi International Sports Centre Kasarani, the venue, which hosted all of Kenya's group games, will be the home of other fixtures as nations battle to qualify for the World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
As per the schedule on FIFA's official portal, Harambee Stars will kick off the next phase of their World Cup qualifying campaign against The Gambia on Friday, September 5 at the Kasarani Stadium. The match kicks off at 4pm, but the time is subject to change depending on other factors.
On Tuesday, September 9, four days later, Kenya will be at the Kasarani Stadium once again, facing off against Seychelles in another afternoon match at 4pm.
The Nyayo Stadium, which also hosted several CHAN matches, will host a Group F clash between The Gambia and Burundi. One interesting fact about this game is it will be played under floodlights since it has been scheduled for 10pm.
After Kenya's home fixtures, Benni McCarthy's side will round off their World Cup qualifiers group stage campaign with away games against Burundi on Monday, October 6 and Ivory Coast a week later.
As far as CHAN is concerned, the Niger vs Algeria game played on Monday, August 18 was the last international game played at the Nyayo Stadium before the World Cup qualifiers.
With the semi finals of the competition set to take place outside Kenya regardless of whether the Harambee Stars are participating, the Moi International Sports Centre Kasarani will host two more matches - the Kenya vs Madagascar quarter final and the final of the tournament.
Can Harambee Stars Qualify for the World Cup?
As it stands, Kenya is fourth in Group F with six points, behind table-toppers Ivory Coast who have 16 points. Harambee Stars' campaign in the qualifiers has seen mixed results, including a dominant 5-0 victory over Seychelles and three draws, including 1-1 against Burundi, 0-0 against Ivory Coast, and an exciting 3-3 draw with The Gambia.
Their last two qualifier games ended in two successive defeats against Gabon, both home and away.
Coach Benni McCarthy has yet to secure a victory in the qualifiers since taking on the Harambee Stars role earlier this year, with the upcoming September matches likely determining whether the team qualifies for the World Cup or not.
McCarthy has overseen two qualifier matches for Harambee Stars, a 3-3 draw against The Gambia and a narrow 2-1 defeat to Gabon.
