Benni McCarthy Told What Government Expects From Harambee Stars at AFCON 2027

The Ministry of Sports has directed the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) to immediately begin preparations for Harambee Stars ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which Kenya will co-host alongside Uganda and Tanzania.

The directive was issued during a meeting of the AFCON Local Organising Committee (LOC) in Nairobi on Tuesday, July 28.

Sports Principal Secretary Elijah Mwangi stressed that the national team's performances must reflect the world-class infrastructure and facilities being put in place for the continental tournament, setting a clear target for Benni McCarthy and his technical bench.

"When we host AFCON here, we have requested that FKF must ensure our team is ready for competition," stated Sport PS Elijah Mwangi.

"We don't want a situation where we host big games, only for our fans to be disappointed because our team fails to progress."

Mwangi also confirmed that systems for player welfare and motivation are already in place to ensure the squad remains focused. "Matters concerning player remuneration and their motivation are all in order," he assured.

Meanwhile, the committee is also refining its operational plans, drawing lessons from the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN) to improve security, fan engagement, and other key areas.

To ensure the tournament's excitement is felt nationwide, the government plans to set up fan zones in major towns across Kenya.

"The discussion is that, with adequate resources, we want to have fan zones in every town for all of us," Mwangi explained.

The Sports PS concluded with an appeal for public support to help deliver a historic continental event. "We ask Kenyans to continue supporting this process. We can assure them that we shall deliver AFCON 2027."