Kenya’s final preparations to mount a plausible title campaign at their home Africa Cup of Nations in nine months’ time could not have got off to a worse start.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced that Kenya won the rights to host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations jointly with Tanzania and Uganda exactly three years ago on Sunday.
Football Kenya Federation (FKF) subsequently placed the Harambee Stars Afcon project on the hands of celebrated former Bafana Bafana striker Benni McCarthy on March 3, last year.
The South African coach, who worked at Manchester United as a first-team attacking coach from July 2022 until June 2024 under Erik ten Hag, has gone through dozens of players and 14 international fixtures since his appointment as he searches for the ideal men who will do duty in Nairobi next year.
Harambee Stars players celebrate a goal against Estonia in a Fifa Series match at Amahoro Stadium in Kigali, Rwanda on March 27, 2026.
Photo credit: Pool
The 2027 qualifiers are meant to give him an ideal platform to build the dream that millions of long-suffering Harambee Stars fans harbour, of winning the prestigious African title.
His 24-man squad for the opening qualifier Group “D” match against Eritrea reported to camp on Tuesday.
But, alas, Kenya’s best elite football players have not put in any meaningful training after going on strike the same day over unpaid allowances.
On Wednesday, the federation issued a statement that part of the players’ allowances had been settled by the government, but by Thursday Nation Sports could not establish if the money had been received and if the players had started training.
A source at the Ministry of Sports claimed that all the outstanding dues owed to the players had been settled and referred this reporter to FKF for confirmation.
However, a junior federation official who did not want to be named as he is not authorised to speak to the media said the Ministry of Sports was better placed to provide information on the payments.
FKF Head of Projects and National Teams Athanus Obango said each player was owed Sh80,000 in allowances that had accrued from the training camps for international matches against Senegal last November and back-to-back fixtures against Lesotho in June.
On Wednesday, Harambee Stars coach Benni McCarthy said that the dispute had affected his preparations for the Eritrea match.
“The players' welfare comes first and if they don’t want to respond then it becomes very hard to do the job. There are promises which were made to them but they have not been honoured and their allowances have not been paid. Five camps, and as a player you have not been paid with promise after promise, it becomes very hard to manage players like that,” McCarthy said.
Harambee Stars head coach Benni McCarthy addresses the media after the team's training session at Nyayo National Stadium on July 23, 2025
Photo credit: Chris Omollo | Nation Media Group
The coach also criticised FKF for failing to secure his work permit despite him being at the helm of the national team for the past one-and-a-half years.
The federation said it would follow up on McCarthy’s work permit and called on the players to remain dedicated and give their best to the national team.
Meanwhile, Eritrea, who have beaten Kenya in their last three meetings, have held a couple of training sessions since landing in Nairobi on Tuesday for Saturday’s clash at Nyayo National Stadium
Eritrea’s 30-man squad, under Egyptian coach Hesham Yakan, has been tuning up at Police Sacco Stadium since arriving in the country.
The Red Sea Camels will have a feel of the Nyayo National Stadium on Friday afternoon. Harambee Stars are also scheduled to train at the match venue.
Kenya’s encounter with Eritrea brings back painful memories of September 2, 2006, when the Red Sea Camels stunned a packed home crowd at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani with a 2-1 victory in a 2008 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier. They followed that up with a 1-0 win in Asmara.
Unlike then, when all their players were locally based, Eritrea now have several players featuring for clubs in Europe.
Defender Namrud Embaye plays for German third-tier side Wurzburger Kickers, while forward Ali Suleman features for Al Nasry of Egypt.
Forward Siem Eyob is attached to England’s Sheffield United. Only strikers Romel Abdu and Nahom Tedese play in the Eritrean Premier League for Denden.
In terms of qualifications, Saturday's result will not matter as Kenya are already assured of a spot in the 2027 Afcon by virtue of being hosts. But it is no consolation for the poor preparations that could affect the final product that will turn out in June next year.
