In a week framed by travel, tests and quiet belief, Benni McCarthy and Harambee Stars preparations are being sharpened by adversity and opportunity in equal measure. The World Cup dream is gone, yet the story still matters, because what happens against Burundi and Ivory Coast can set the tone for AFCON 2027 at home.
Injuries cloud the camp yet belief remains
Benni McCarthy confirmed that captain Michael Olunga, Alpha Onyango and Ronney Onyango checked into camp with fitness concerns. The coach described Olunga’s issue as a hamstring strain that needs monitoring, a concern measured against the striker’s importance and his history of playing through tight windows to help the team.
Ronney Onyango, the Norway based right back, had club discomfort but completed scans and medical tests that returned encouraging results. The staff will watch him closely in training, the workload trimmed, the focus on timing his availability without risk.
Alpha Onyango was taken off as a precaution in Gor Mahia’s last match and will be assessed session by session. McCarthy was clear that beyond the trio, the group is fit, which allows him to balance caution with continuity as matchday approaches.
Why these are not throwaway games
Kenya’s fate in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers has been sealed, yet the stakes remain real. Daniel Sakari framed the mindset, explaining that the two matches are critical steps toward AFCON 2027, which Kenya will co host with Uganda and Tanzania. Six points is the aim, not for the table, but for the standards they want to build.
There is an emotional layer to this moment, the bridge between the end of one campaign and the beginning of another. The team travels to Bujumbura for Burundi, then on to Abidjan to face the African champions, Ivory Coast, where the atmosphere will test their composure and courage.
McCarthy’s message and the challenge in Abidjan
The coach has chosen clarity over comfort. He warned that Kenya will not offer favours in a race that still matters to others. Ivory Coast are pushing to finish top, with Gabon close behind, so Abidjan promises urgency from the stands and the touchline.
McCarthy set the tone with a simple conviction, the objective is to collect maximum points, even inside the lion’s den. The subtext is as important as the quote, the culture he wants must be visible when pressure comes from the other side.
Burundi first, then the cauldron of Ivory Coast
Kenya open in Bujumbura, a place where control and tempo will matter. The reverse fixture in Malawi ended with Burundi rescuing a late draw, a reminder that small margins decide games in this group. McCarthy’s men have trained at the Police Sacco Grounds in South C, building rhythm for a contest likely to hinge on transitions and concentration.
Next comes Abidjan at Alassane Outtara Stadium, a stage that demands personality. Under Engin Firat, Kenya held Ivory Coast to a goalless draw on neutral ground, a point that proved the gap can be narrowed with discipline. The rematch arrives with a new coach, a developing identity and a test of Kenya’s resolve under noise.
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A tactical identity that leans on the ball
Vincent Harper, the English based utility man at Walsall, offered a window into the shift he has felt under McCarthy compared to Firat. He sees more emphasis on passing and building sequences, less on going direct, a reflection of the profiles now being trusted and the work done on the training pitch.
Harper is chasing a long awaited debut after a first call in 2023 without minutes, the wait has fueled him rather than deflated him. He describes himself as direct and dynamic, with the energy to run channels and recover, tools that fit a team trying to stretch the field with the ball rather than a hopeful ball into space.
Opportunity for youth and the Lawrence Okoth plan
McCarthy has stitched youth into the plan with intention, and Lawrence Okoth is the headline proof. The striker stood out at the 2025 U20 AFCON with two goals, earned a move to SJK Seinajoki in Finland, and now steps into the senior camp at an ideal time when minutes can be managed without the weight of qualification.
The coach has challenged Okoth to grasp the moment, because 2027 will arrive quickly and the spine must be ready. This is how succession is built, one careful audition now, one bigger stage later, a pathway that respects current leaders while preparing their heirs.
Competition that sharpens the right flank
Daniel Sakari spoke with candour about the battle at right back, a role contested by himself, Ronney Onyango, Daniel Anyembe and Lewis Bandi. He welcomed the challenge, a daily reminder that training is not a formality, it is selection fuel.
In a squad seeking higher intensity, this kind of internal push is gold. It keeps the group switched on, reduces complacency and gives McCarthy options to tailor the full back role to the opponent, whether that means an aggressive overlap or a more measured defensive shield.
Leadership and the Olunga equation
Everything circles back to the captain. Olunga’s presence lifts the group, his movement and finishing create order up front, and even a minor hamstring issue becomes a national talking point. The staff will load him sensibly, and if he plays, the goal threat transforms how Burundi and Ivory Coast defend.
There is also space for new voices. Ryan Ogam arrives with momentum after a winning debut for Wolfsberger AC in Austria, eager to translate club confidence into an international contribution. If Okoth sees minutes, his timing and penalty box instincts can complement the senior forwards.
Recall stories that underscore standards
Selection is also a message. McCarthy has brought back Odhiambo after a September omission that sparked debate, a reminder that accountability and opportunity can live together in one squad. The lesson is simple, raise your level, and the door stays open.
For others, this window is about converting call ups into caps. Harper wants that first appearance, not as a souvenir, but as a start. The collective theme is hunger, the human edge that often separates a tidy performance from a defining one.
Recent history that feeds belief
Against these same opponents, Kenya have already shown resilience. The draw with Ivory Coast in Malawi underlined defensive structure and patience, the late concession to Burundi stung but taught game management. McCarthy has leaned into those lessons, asking for bravery with the ball and sharper choices in the dying minutes.
This is where the narrative turns from damage control to identity building. Two clean games, with and without the ball, can accelerate trust in the approach and give the group a reference point for 2027.
Squad list for the Burundi and Ivory Coast matches
- Goalkeepers Faruk Shikhalo, Byrne Omondi, Brian Bwire
- Defenders Manzur Suleiman, Vincent Harper, Sylvester Owino, Alphonce Omija, Collins Sichenje, Michael Kibwage, Ronney Onyango, Abud Omar, Daniel Sakari
- Midfielders Alpha Onyango, Duke Abuya, Timothy Ouma, Ben Stanley, Marvin Nabwire, Austine Odhiambo
- Wingers William Lenkupae, Job Ochieng, Boniface Muchiri
- Strikers Michael Olunga, Ryan Ogam, Lawrence Okoth
What success looks like this week
On the surface, points are a simple metric. Beneath that, there are layers that matter just as much, clean injury management for the trio on watch, competitive debuts for the right youngsters, and a clear tactical picture that can travel from Bujumbura to Abidjan without losing shape.
Kenya do not control the World Cup conversation any longer, but they can control their habits. If the ball circulates with intention, if transitions are defended with numbers, if set pieces are executed with precision, the team will leave this window better than it entered.
The road to AFCON 2027 starts here
It is not a slogan, it is a calendar reality. McCarthy’s contract runs through the home tournament, and his selections reveal a coach plotting two timelines at once. He wants to honour the veterans who still decide games, while fast tracking the prospects who might carry the torch in two years.
AFCON at home will demand cohesion, clarity and courage. This international break, framed by Burundi’s grit and Ivory Coast’s power, offers a live rehearsal for all three.
Final thought
Kenya’s shirt carries weight, regardless of the table. In camp this week you can feel both the sting of elimination and the spark of what is next. If McCarthy’s words become actions, the team will not just play out the string, it will set a standard that speaks to 2027, and to the supporters who know that every step now is part of a larger climb.
