Kenya will open its AFCON 2027 qualifying campaign against Eritrea on Saturday, September 26.
Kick-off is scheduled for 4:00 pm EAT at Nyayo National Stadium.
Although Kenya has already secured a place at the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations as one of the three co-hosts alongside Uganda and Tanzania, coach Benni McCarthy is using the qualifiers to test his squad in competitive matches ahead of the tournament.
Tickets and Matchday Details
Football kenya Federation (FKF) announced that regular tickets cost KSh300, while VIP tickets cost KSh1,000 and are available through its website.
Eritrea arrived in Kenya on September 22 and has since been training at the Police Sacco Grounds in Nairobi. The visitors have already settled into camp and held several training sessions under head coach Hesham Yakan ahead of Saturday’s encounter.
Also Read: Benni McCarthy Reveals Why He Does Not Stay in Kenya
In contrast, Harambee Stars preparations have been disrupted by an allowances dispute, with the players skipping training while seeking the settlement of outstanding payments.
How to Watch Kenya vs Eritrea
Fans unable to make it to Nyayo will have TV options to follow the match. SuperSport has the Kenya-Eritrea fixture listed, and it will confirm the match details.
SuperSport, Canal+, New World TV and Azam TV hold broadcasting rights for the AFCON qualifiers in the region.
The match will also be broadcast through Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC)
The fixture is part of Matchday 1 of the AFCON 2027 qualifiers, which began across Africa on September 24, and group-stage matches for the opening two matchdays will run through October 6.
Harambee Stars AFCON 2027 qualifier Squad
McCarthy has selected 24 players for the opening qualifiers against Eritrea and Guinea, with captain Michael Olunga returning to lead the attack.
The Al-Arabi striker is joined in the forward line by Sharif Musa, Ben Stanley, Job Ochieng, Ryan Ogam, Micah Obiero, Mohammed Bajaber and Javan Ochieng.
The midfield options include Timothy Ouma of Charlton Athletic, Manzur Okwaro of Stade Reims, Chris Erambo of Tusker, Duke Abuya of Young Africans and Marvin Nabwire of Power Dynamos.
In defense, McCarthy has selected Michael Kibagwe, Rooney Onyango, Hannif Wesonga, Stanley Wilson, Abud Omar, Amos Wanjala, Frank Odhiambo and Vincent Harper.
The three goalkeepers are Byrne Omondi, Faruk Shikhalo and Brian Bwire. Richards Bay goalkeeper Ian Otieno, who was part of the provisional squad, did not make the final selection.
Kenya’s next Group D fixture will be an away match against Guinea in Conakry on October 1. CAF confirmed that Kenya’s automatic qualification as a co-host means the highest-placed team other than Kenya in the group will take the additional qualification place.
Also Read: Kenya Wins Bid to Host 2029 World Athletics Championships for First Time in Africa
FKF Addresses Outstanding Harambee Stars Payments
On September 23, FKF addressed the ongoing Harambee Stars camp, including outstanding payments to the national team.
In a statement, FKF acknowledged concerns raised over payments linked to the national team and thanked the Ministry of Sports for its continued support of Kenya’s national teams.
The federation said the Ministry had confirmed that an outstanding payment relating to a previous Harambee Stars assignment had been cleared and was expected to reflect by September 24.
“The Ministry has confirmed that an outstanding payment relating to a previous Harambee Stars assignment has been cleared and is expected to reflect by tomorrow,” the statement read.
However, FKF noted that other payments connected to national-team preparations and allowances remained at different stages of processing.
The federation said it was maintaining regular communication with the Ministry and working with relevant government offices to resolve the outstanding matters.
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