Why competitive friendlies could power Harambee Stars’ AFCON 2027 dream

As Kenya gears up to co-host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) alongside Uganda and Tanzania, the national team, Harambee Stars, find themselves with a rare luxury: time.

With no World Cup qualifiers on the calendar and having missed out on AFCON 2025, 2026 presents a crucial window to reset, rebuild, and refocus — and international friendlies could prove decisive.

Rather than a drawback, the lighter schedule offers head coach Benni McCarthy a valuable foundation year to mould a competitive squad ahead of the continental showpiece on home soil.

Central to that plan are high-quality, well-structured friendly matches, beginning with the FIFA Series 2026 set for Rwanda.

Kenya will feature in CAF Group A of the FIFA Series, taking on Estonia, Grenada and hosts Rwanda in Kigali between March 23 and 31.

The tournament brings together 48 national teams from across all FIFA confederations, offering the Stars a rare round-robin platform for sustained, competitive exposure.

Unlike do-or-die qualifiers, these matches give McCarthy room to experiment by rotating squads, testing tactical systems and assessing emerging talent without the pressure of immediate qualification.

It is the ideal environment to build chemistry and define a clear playing identity.

The timing is significant. Kenya’s impressive run to the quarter-finals of the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN) highlighted the growing maturity of local-based players. Blending that core with foreign-based professionals through targeted friendlies will be key as Kenya automatically qualifies for AFCON 2027 as hosts.

Beyond tactics, the matches will also help restore belief. After recent tournament absences and a group-stage exit at AFCON 2019, the Stars are eager to turn promise into performance.

Competitive friendlies offer the chance to sharpen match fitness, build confidence, and nurture a winning mentality.

In short, these games are far more than warm-ups. They are strategic building blocks — opportunities to fine-tune combinations, test resilience, and prepare a squad capable of carrying national expectation.

For Harambee Stars, the road to AFCON 2027 glory will not begin under bright tournament lights, but in quiet preparatory battles where lessons learned could make all the difference when it matters most.