Harambee Stars coach Benni McCarthy has said his players will not underrate Seychelles in their 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifier match planned for today at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani.
Seychelles have lost all seven of their qualifier matches while conceding 34 goals and scoring only twice.
“Just because an opponent has been losing by two or three goals does not mean we should see them as easy pickings and put our guard down. We respect every opponent we play against and we are taking this match seriously because Seychelles are capable of causing an upset if we take it easy against them,” the 47-year-old South African said yesterday.
“We have done our homework on them and we plan to press them high up the pitch because we have noticed that they like to build play from the back. We will set traps for them that will force them to play the ball where we want and then we strike,” McCarthy added.
McCarthy was speaking during the pre-match press conference for Harambee Stars’ 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifier against The Pirates, which kicks off today at 4 pm.
Both teams are approaching the match after suffering defeats in their World Cup qualifier matches last week.
Seychelles lost 4-0 at home to Gabon on Thursday, while Harambee Stars succumbed to a 3-1 loss to The Gambia at Kasarani on Friday. Seychelles hosted its match against Gabon in Mauritius. They have been hosting their home matches in neutral locations due to a lack of a CAF-approved stadium in their country.
Kenya and Seychelles are the bottom-ranked teams in Group F'. They rank fifth and sixth with six and zero points respectively from seven matches played. Cote d'Ivoire led the group with 19 points. Gabon are second with 18 points. Burundi follow them with 10 points. The Gambia lie fourth with seven points.
Tuesday's match will be the seventh meeting between the two countries. Their first meeting took place in November 1992 in Tanzania during that year’s Cecafa Cup. Harambee Stars won the match 2-1 and went on to win four of their subsequent five matches against The Pirates. A friendly match played in June 1998 in Nairobi ended in a draw, marking the only occasion Seychelles avoided defeat against Kenya.
McCarthy also said the team has no injury concerns, but he will be without the services of two defenders due to suspension and another one has to leave the country to complete a move to a new club.
“Left back Abud Omar is suspended and centre back Alphonse Omija was excused to leave camp to travel to Tunisia to complete a move to a new club. We released Omija because the Tunisian transfer window is almost closing and he has to do his medical test to complete the move,” McCarthy said.
The 2004 Uefa Champions League winner also expressed pride at the increasing number of members of his Chan 2024 squad sealing moves abroad. Striker Ryan Ogam is set to join Austrian club Wolfsberger from Tusker FC, while goalkeeper Faruk Shikhalo is transferring to Ethiopian club St. George from Bandari FC.
“I am happy to see my players make such progress in their career because it gives them a chance to develop themselves and change their lives and those of their families,” McCarthy said.
McCarthy was accompanied to the press conference by Australian-born attacking midfielder William Lenkupae. The 23-year-old sealed a move to Finnish club Vaasan Palloseura (VPS) from Central Coast Mariners, an Australian club, in July. He has so far played five matches for his new club and describes Finnish football as “physical”.
“Joining VPS marks the first time in my career playing outside Australia. I am adjusting to a new language, culture, and way of playing football. Finnish football is very physical; every 50-50 is strongly contested. I hope to continue working hard and giving my best so that I maintain my presence in the national team,” Lenkupae, who has so far made five appearances for Harambee Stars, said.
Lenkupae made his Harambee Stars debut on March 20 against The Gambia in a 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifier match that ended 3-3. The match was played in Abidjan, and Lenkupae was a second-half substitute. He salvaged a draw for Kenya with the last kick of the game, marking his debut with a memorable goal.
Though he is still learning Kiswahili, Lenkupae described the atmosphere in the Harambee Stars squad as welcoming. “My teammates have been supportive,” he said.
Seychelles arrived in the country on Saturday, and their coach, Ralph Jean-Louis, expressed satisfaction with how they have been treated in the country.
“We have been treated well and every player in the squad is fit and healthy. We hope for a good result tomorrow,” Louis said during the pre-match conference held at MISC, Kasarani on Monday, September 8, morning.
Louis was accompanied to the press conference by the team’s 25-year-old captain, Dean Mothé. Mothé, who was voted the Seychelles footballer of the year in 2024, teased about giving a good performance. “We expect a tough match tomorrow (Tuesday, September 9), but we are ready. People should come to the stadium to see what we can do,” he said.
