Deaf Harambee Stars step up preparations for inaugural Dafcon
Eric Muthii of Silent Eagles FC (left) tussles for the ball with Anthony Mwatihi of Golden Axe Deaf during a match at the University of Nairobi grounds on August 22, 2026. The match was part of national deaf football selection trials ahead of the Deaf Africa Football Cup of Nations (DAFCON) in Ethiopia in November.
Kenya Deaf men’s football team have intensified their preparations for the inaugural Deaf African Football Cup of Nations (Dafcon), which will take place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from November 30 to December 13.
Following the selection of a 25-man squad in August, the team, which is dubbed Deaf Harambee Stars have been playing friendly matches against teams comprising hearing players.
Seventeen teams will feature in the Dafcon, with Kenya taking on Mali, Ghana and Zanzibar in Group “D”.
Group “A” features Ethiopia, Gabon, Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea Bissau and Liberia while Pool “B” comprises the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Libya and Central African Republic. Group “C” members are Cameroon, Senegal, South Sudan and Somaliland.
On October 18, Deaf Harambee Stars defeated Boom Family FC 3-1 at Riruta Stadium in Kawangware.
The team’s captain Philip Kirui scored a brace while Arafa Mohamed netted the other goal. Previously, coach Kevin Njagi’s side defeated Ongata Rongai 3-2 and Highway Secondary School 2-0.
Njagi said the early preparations are aimed at improving the players’ fitness level and overall understanding of the game.
The team is expected to enter a residential camp sometime next month.
“We are using the available training sessions to improve the players' fitness, tactical understanding, technical ability and overall teamwork,” stated Njagi, who is CAF C License holder.
“As the technical bench, we are focusing on building a disciplined, competitive and mentally strong team. We are also working on communication on the pitch, set pieces, defensive organisation, attacking transitions and finishing,” he added.
While the coach acknowledged that they have been drawn in a tough group, he singled out Mali as the team, which is likely to give them the toughest challenge. Mali defeated Kenya 4-2 at the Africa Deaflympics Ball Games held in 2021 at Nyayo National Stadium.
“Ghana, Mali and Zanzibar are competitive opponents, and we know that qualifying from this group will require hard work, discipline and tactical maturity. “We expect a strong contest from them, but we are not intimidated. We are preparing to compete against every team with confidence and determination,” he said.
While the coach noted that improvement is needed across all departments in the team, he singled out finishing as the area they need to put more effort on. “We want to create more clear-cut chances and convert those opportunities into goals. At the same time, we are strengthening our defensive organisation, midfield coordination, transition play and set-piece execution,” said the coach.
The team has been grappling with several challenges, including difficulty in securing venues for training and matches in Nairobi and lack of funds to cater for expenses including transport.
Deaf Football Federation of Kenya (DFFK) president Stephen Waweru has appealed to corporates and well-wishers to support the team for the residential camp, vowing to make the country proud in Ethiopia.
“My prayers are for any corporation to support us for the residential camp in November. We will bring the trophy from Ethiopia,” said Waweru.
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