By Caleb Muoti
Led by the new boss Benni McCarthy, Harambee Stars held their first training session on Tuesday 12 ahead of the Upcoming 2026 Fifa World Cup Qualifier against Gambia and Gabon on March 20 and 24 respectively.
Reflecting on the squad, McCarthy is pleased with the preps ahead of the qualifiers, getting to know the players and understand his style of play.
‘‘It’s a good experience for some of the young players whom we have given a call-up, just to showcase what they have. I think the players adapted really well in the first training session, and adapted easily on how I want them to play,’’ Benni says.
‘‘I am surprised with the quality of the team, but it’s always a benefit for the country and the team. We are going to work really hard to get the team ready so that Kenyans can be happy with the team whenever they put on the country’s jersey,’’ Benni added.
Local based players are already in the camp, while foreign based players are set to report in camp starting Saturday 15.
The team will begin their qualifiers with an away match against Gambia on March 20 at Stade Alassane in Ivory Coast, and later return home to face Gabon on Sunday March 23 at Nyayo Stadium.
The news of Nyayo National Stadium hosting the Gabon match is a welcome development for Kenyan football fans, who have faced disappointment after the Harambee Stars were forced to play their home qualifiers against Burundi and Cote d’Ivoire in Malawi due to venue unavailability. Kenya’s 2025 AFCON qualifiers were also played in Kampala (Uganda) and Polokwane (South Africa).
The Harambee Stars currently sit fourth in Group F of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers with five points from four matches. The group is led by Cote d’Ivoire (10 points), followed by Gabon (9 points), and Burundi (7 points). Gambia (3 points) and Seychelles (no points) round out the group.