'Not a Bother to Us' – Harambee Stars Defender Dismisses The Gambia Advantage Before Kasarani Clash

The Gor Mahia star remains defiant ahead of the Harambee Stars' World Cup qualifier, insisting The Gambia's star-studded squad is 'not a bother.'

Harambee Stars defender Sylvester Owino believes they have all it takes to silence The Gambia in their second leg encounter of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers.

Harambee Stars will take on the Scorpions on Friday evening at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, with the hope of eventually walking away with the victory.

In their first leg encounter, the match ended in a 3-3 draw as Harambee Stars frustrated The Gambia, and now with home advantage, they want to do much better.

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Sylvester Owino Overlooks Major Challenge Ahead of The Gambia Clash

The Gor Mahia defender is aware of the magnitude a team like The Gambia holds, but remains defiant about Harambee Stars’ chances in the clash.

Harambee Stars’ squad includes mostly locally based players, while The Gambia has a huge number of international players, including Brighton & Hove Albion winger Yankuba Minteh, whose blistering pace and relentless drive could pose a real threat to Harambee Stars’ defence.

However, despite that, Sylvester Owino believes that the African Nations Championship (CHAN 2024) was proof that the local players have what it takes to perform on a big stage.

“I am confident we will destroy the Scorpions. I know the capabilities of the players selected for this match. We are confident as a team, not only for this match but also against Seychelles,” Sylvester Owino said as quoted by Citizen Digital.

“I know the entire Gambian squad consists of foreign-based players, unlike Harambee Stars, which invited nine foreign-based players. This is not a bother to us. We will play according to instructions and hopefully grab the three points in contention.”

The match between Harambee Stars and The Gambia is very crucial since both teams have already been eliminated from qualifying directly to the 2026 global showpiece, but they have a chance to still advance to the second round.

With the points at stake, The Gambia coach Johnathan McKinstry has vowed to fight for the three points. He believes that only the final whistle can determine the winner since it is very difficult to predict.

“I know Kenya has the advantage of the home support as was the case during the CHAN competition, but we shall fight to the final whistle,” he added.

At the moment, Harambee Stars are fourth in Group F, having accumulated six points, as The Gambia follow closely with four points. Gabon leads the group with 18 points. Ivory Coast and Burundi are second and third, respectively.