Harambee Stars face Eritrea after troubled build up

Harambee Stars players during a past training session. [FKF Media, Standard]

Harambee Stars will be hoping to prove that troubled preparations will not stand in their way when they face Eritrea in their opening 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifier at Nyayo Stadium today.

Kenya go into the Group F match looking to build momentum and establish a clear competitive identity ahead of the 2027 Afcon finals, which they will co-host with Uganda and Tanzania.

But their preparations have been far from ideal after players declined to train earlier in the week over unpaid allowances.

The dispute disrupted preparations at a time when coach Benni McCarthy needed to bring his players together and work on his plans for the opening qualifier.

The squad eventually held its first and only collective training session yesterday, leaving the technical bench with very little time to prepare the team together before the Eritrea clash.

That lack of preparation raises questions over match fitness, tactical understanding and how quickly the players can settle into McCarthy’s plans.

However, winger Job Ochieng remains confident that Kenya can overcome the unusual circumstances surrounding their camp.

“Things have been great although we haven’t been together for a long time and we will try and do our best,” Ochieng said.

The winger, who admitted he does not know much about the Eritrean side, is looking forward to testing himself against the Red Sea Camels.

“I don’t know much about them, but I’m excited to play tomorrow and show the country that we can compete in high-level football,” he said.

Kenya have reason to believe they can produce a strong performance, particularly from their recent form.

Stars have gone unbeaten  in their last four matches, beating Lesotho 4-0 and drawing 1-1 with the same opponents before beating Grenada 3-0 and drawing 1-1 with Estonia.

Their wider five-match form guide, however, also includes a heavy 8-0 defeat to Senegal, showing that there is still work to be done as McCarthy seeks to build a more consistent side.

Eritrea, meanwhile, arrive in Nairobi with confidence after winning both their preliminary-round matches against Eswatini. The Red Sea Camels won the first meeting 2-1 before completing a 2-0 victory in the return match.

Their other recent results include a 0-1 defeat and a goalless draw against Niger, as well as a 0-3 loss to Ethiopia.

History also gives Eritrea confidence ahead of the Nyayo encounter.

The two sides last met in the 2019 CECAFA Cup, when Eritrea won 4-1. Before that, they played twice in the 2007 AFCON qualifying campaign, with Eritrea winning 2-1 in September 2006 before the return match ended 0-0 in June 2007.

Kenya will therefore have to guard against complacency despite enjoying home advantage and entering the contest with the stronger recent attacking record.