Harambee Stars Backed to Reach AFCON 2025 in Morocco

 

Kenya national football team Harambee Stars

The Kenya national football team has struggled to compete at the continental level in the last few years. In the 21st century, Kenya has qualified for two Africa Cup of Nations tournaments, and fans have high hopes for the 2025 edition. Harambee Stars face Zimbabwe and Namibia in their opening matches for the 2025 AFCON qualifiers and the pressure is on. Harambee Stars have not played at the Africa Cup of Nations since 2019.The East Africans are in Group J alongside giants Cameroon, Namibia and Zimbabwe. Kenya can secure a spot in the tournament if they finish in the top two. . Kenya's only appearances at the tournament since 2000 were in 2004 and 2019. The team has struggled to qualify in the last few years, but the 2025 edition feels attainable. Head coach Engin Firat is confident they can qualify, saying the group is open. 

“All of the teams have their own weakness…all of them struggle, honestly, when they are playing with teams that sit so deep. So until the last match, the group will remain open and that’s why it is important for us to be mentally ready,” the Turkish tactician said via Capital Sports. The top two teams in the 12 groups qualify for the tournament set for December 2025. Harambee Stars will fly to Uganda to play Zimbabwe on September 4 before playing Namibia six days later in South Africa, per The Star.  Can Harambee Stars reach 2025 AFCON? With the competition expanded to include 24 teams, Kenya has a great chance to play in Africa's biggest football tournament. Speaking exclusively to TUKO.co.ke, football analyst and journalist Dan Ogega is optimistic about Harambee Stars' chances, highlighting the continuity in the team. 

"I am confident we can make the cut for AFCON cos the. coach has retained the core of the team. Their past experiences in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers will come in handy. However for us to achieve that we need to score more." Can Firat finally end the drought? Fans react to Harambee Stars jersey TUKO.co.ke earlier reported that fans were not impressed with Harambee Stars' new jersey, which was unveiled a week ago. Fans were not happy with the design, saying they needed to put more effort into it and mix more flag colours. 

by  Edwin Kiplagat