Kenya's Harambee Stars open their AFCON 2027 qualifying campaign at home to Eritrea on 26 September at Nyayo National Stadium. Coach Benni McCarthy, South Africa's all-time leading scorer, has named his squad for what are preparation matches rather than must-win qualifiers.
Kenya are already guaranteed a place at AFCON 2027 as co-hosts. The qualifying campaign is about building combinations ahead of a home tournament.
Harambee Stars AFCON 2027: Group D, Coach & What's at Stake
| Team | FIFA Rank | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Kenya | 109th | Already qualified (co-host) |
| South Africa | 54th | Qualifying |
| Guinea | 81st | Qualifying |
| Eritrea | 184th | Qualifying |
Kenya is one of three automatic co-hosts alongside Uganda (Group H) and Tanzania (Group L), so only South Africa, Guinea or Eritrea can go through from Group D.
The campaign's defining storyline sits outside the table. Benni McCarthy, South Africa's all-time leading scorer with 31 goals in 79 caps, will lead Kenya against his home country in the November double-header. South Africa are now managed by Pitso Mosimane.
Harambee Stars AFCON Fixtures & Results 2027: Dates, Opponents and Venue
| Date | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 26 Sep 2026 (Sat) | Kenya vs Eritrea, kick-off 4pm EAT (1pm GMT) | Nyayo National Stadium, Nairobi (home) |
| 1 Oct 2026 (Thu) | Guinea vs Kenya | Stade du 28 Septembre, Conakry (away) |
| 9 to 17 Nov 2026 | South Africa vs Kenya (MD3, away), Kenya vs South Africa (MD4, home) | Dates and venues awaiting CAF confirmation |
| 22 to 30 Mar 2027 | Eritrea vs Kenya (MD5, away), Kenya vs Guinea (MD6, home) | Dates and venues awaiting CAF confirmation |
Qualifying windows run matchdays 1 and 2 from 21 September to 6 October, matchdays 3 and 4 from 9 to 17 November, and matchdays 5 and 6 from 22 to 30 March 2027. CAF has not yet published kick-off times for the November and March fixtures.
Harambee Stars Squad & Players for AFCON 2027 Qualifying
Coach Benni McCarthy trimmed his provisional 38-man squad to a final 24 for the Eritrea and Guinea double-header. The South African connection runs through the whole selection process, not just November's fixtures against his homeland.
One notable change from the provisional list: vice-captain Joseph Okumu did not make the final cut, along with goalkeeper Ian Otieno and Wrexham defender Zak Vyner, as McCarthy leaned towards a more locally based group.
Captain Michael Olunga headlines the squad on his return from a serious pelvic injury that required surgery in Paris and ended his 2025/26 season in Qatar early. He made his competitive comeback for Al-Arabi SC on 21 August and scored in his next appearance a week later. He now arrives one goal short of William Ouma's all-time Kenya scoring record of 35.
Real Sociedad forward Job Ochieng is in form heading into the window, having contributed a goal and two assists in a recent La Liga fixture against Elche. He represents Kenya's clearest overseas attacking threat outside of Olunga.
Gor Mahia goalkeeper Byrne Omondi anchors a squad with nine home-based players, the largest single bloc in the 24, and Gor Mahia supply five of them. Exeter City defender Vincent Harper is the only addition to the final list who was not in the provisional squad.
Harambee Stars vs Eritrea: Next Game Prediction (26 September)
Eritrea are ranked 184th in the world, but history says this fixture is not the formality that rating suggests. Eritrea have won the last three meetings between the sides: 2-1 in Nairobi in September 2006, 1-0 in Eritrea in June 2007, and 4-1 at the 2019 CECAFA Cup. Kenya led the overall series with six wins from ten meetings, but their last victory came in December 2003.
The guests' preparation has been disrupted by more than form. This is Eritrea's first group-stage qualifier since 2008, an 18-year absence, and they returned to international football in March 2026 only by beating Eswatini 4-1 on aggregate in the preliminary round.
That victory was followed by seven Eritrean players failing to return home from the trip, a pattern of defections that has affected the national team for close to two decades and leaves coach Hesham Yakan working with a squad in constant change. Striker Ali Suleiman, who scored three of Eritrea's four goals across the two-legged preliminary tie against Eswatini, is the player most likely to trouble Kenya's defence.
For Kenya, home advantage at Nyayo, Olunga's return and McCarthy's demand for a professional performance in front of a co-host's crowd all point towards a home win. Expect Kenya as clear favourites on form and squad depth, with a home win the most likely outcome, though Eritrea's recent record against this exact opponent means a tighter contest would be no surprise.
Kenya Predicted line-up vs Eritrea (4-2-3-1): Byrne Omondi; Frank Odhiambo, Amos Wanjala, Stanley Wilson, Rooney Onyango; Manzur Okwaro, Chris Erambo; Job Ochieng, Timothy Ouma, Marvin Nabwire; Michael Olunga.
Kenya vs Eritrea Odds — Main Markets
Back the Harambee Stars to open at Nyayo in style — see the full Kenya vs Eritrea market on 22Bet.
| Selection | Odds |
|---|---|
| Kenya to Win | 1.38 |
| Draw | 4.30 |
| Eritrea to Win | 8.20 |
| Both Teams to Score – Yes | 2.33 |
| Both Teams to Score – No | 1.54 |
| Over 2.5 Goals | 2.02 |
| Under 2.5 Goals | 1.73 |
Odds correct at the time of writing and subject to change. For the latest prices, visit 22Bet.
Harambee Stars vs Guinea: AFCON 2027 Qualifier Prediction (1 October)
These two sides have never met in AFCON qualifying, but they are not strangers. Their eight competitive meetings, all in World Cup qualifying between 1992 and 2008, are split four wins each. The most recent was in Conakry on 12 October 2008, when Guinea edged a 3-2 win in the 2010 World Cup qualifiers.
Guinea sit 28 places above Kenya in the world rankings, and coach Paulo Duarte has named Borussia Dortmund striker Serhou Guirassy, who has 11 goals in 28 caps for the Syli National, alongside returning duo Ilaix Moriba and Madiou Keïta.
Kenya travel to Conakry just five days after hosting Eritrea, with the away trip to West Africa and a hostile atmosphere at the Stade du 28 Septembre. Potential fatigue from a short turnaround will work against the visitors. Guinea, by contrast, will already have played their opening match away to South Africa and will be at home for the first time in the campaign.
Guinea are not arriving in form. Duarte's side have not won in four, drawing with Niger and Togo before losing 1-0 to both Benin and Northern Ireland. He has had call-ups declined by Naby Keita and Morgan Guilavogui while raising public complaints about visa delays for his travelling party.
On balance, Guinea's squad quality and home advantage still make them favourites, and a Kenya defeat looks the more likely outcome. A positive result for the Harambee Stars would represent a good return, given the travel and squad rotation McCarthy is likely to manage across the two fixtures.
Kenya Predicted line-up vs Guinea (4-2-3-1): Byrne Omondi; Vincent Harper, Amos Wanjala, Michael Kibagwe, Abud Omar; Manzur Okwaro, Duke Abuya; Job Ochieng, Javan Ochieng, Sharif Musa; Michael Olunga.
Guinea vs Kenya Odds — Main Markets
Every market for the trip to Conakry is live now — place your Guinea vs Kenya bets on 22Bet.
| Selection | Odds |
|---|---|
| Guinea to Win | 1.51 |
| Draw | 3.56 |
| Kenya to Win | 5.94 |
| Both Teams to Score – Yes | 2.29 |
| Both Teams to Score – No | 1.52 |
| Over 2.5 Goals | 2.29 |
| Under 2.5 Goals | 1.52 |
Odds correct at the time of writing and subject to change. For the latest prices, visit 22Bet.
Kenya Harambee Stars AFCON 2027: The Road to the Home Tournament
Kenya's qualifying results carry no consequence for their place at the finals; that spot is already secured as co-hosts. AFCON 2027 runs from 19 June to 17 July 2027 across Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, with 24 teams competing, including the three automatic co-hosts.
Kenya's AFCON matches will be staged at the 60,000-seat Talanta Stadium, set to be renamed the Raila Odinga International Stadium, and at the 48,000-seat Moi International Sports Centre in Kasarani. These two venues were named as primary hosts by the government.
Nyayo National Stadium has been designated an alternative ground rather than a main tournament venue. It is staging September's qualifier while Kasarani undergoes renovation. Talanta was last reported at 94% completion in August 2026, with the government aiming to stage its first match there before the end of the year.
The fixtures to watch remain November's double-header against South Africa, when McCarthy faces the country he once played for and its all-time scoring record he still holds. Kenya have reached the AFCON finals six times, in 1972, 1988, 1990, 1992, 2004 and 2019, and have never gone beyond the group stage. Next year will be their seventh appearance and their first as hosts, and McCarthy's brief is to have the Harambee Stars ready to go further than that on home soil.