AFCON 2027: FKF Shares Plan to Help Benni McCarthy Build Formidable Harambee Stars Team

Football Kenya Federation is keen to avoid a poor 2027 Africa Cup of Nations for Harambee Stars at home.

Kenya, alongside neighbours Uganda and Tanzania, will co-host the next edition of the continental tournament and the last two host countries have set the bar so high.

Ivory Coast, who staged the 2023 tournament, and Morocco, hosts of the 2025 edition, have not just put up a great tournament in terms of organisation but have also backed it up with top performances on the pitch.

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The Ivorians won their home tournament two years ago while Morocco are on course to doing the same, having made the final of AFCON 2025, which they will play against Senegal on Sunday.

That is immense pressure on the East African countries who must also stage a great tournament but also avoid early elimination that could potentially lead to fan apathy, contributing to low numbers of supporters in the stadiums.

It is with this in mind that FKF boss Hussein Mohammed has promised to provide all the support needed to Harambee Stars coach Benni McCarthy to ensure he has a formidable squad that will perform well at AFCON 2027.

“We have had lengthy and very elaborate discussions with the coach of the national team Harambee Stars,” FKF boss Mohammed told journalist Eric Njiru in Morocco.

“We are talking to the coaches to make sure we create an enabling environment by supporting them to thrive. We have asked for their wish list, we are on the same page, the federation together with the government of Kenya is committed, we are all committed and we will provide what they need to succeed.

“I can assure Kenyans and technical benches that we will not leave them hanging or abandon them. We are going to walk with them this journey and we will succeed eventually. 2027 is going to bigger and better in East Africa.”

Harambee Stars have been to AFCON on six occasions in 1972, 1988, 1990, 1992, 2004 and 2019 but have never gone past the group stage.

However, there is added pressure in 2027 due to the fact that the country is co-hosting the tournament and McCarthy has his work cut out.