Harambee Stars will be looking to revive their World Cup qualification hopes when they visit The Gambia on Thursday in what marks coach Benni McCarthy’s first game in charge.
The South African legend is set to take charge of his first match with Kenya as Harambee Stars face The Gambia on March 20. The game will take place at the iconic Alassane Ouattara Ebimpe Olympic Stadium in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.
The Gambia are hosting the match in Ivory Coast due to the lack of an approved stadium back home.
Preview
McCarthy will be looking to begin his tenure with a victory, as Kenya are in a precarious position following just one win and two draws in their campaign so far.
Kenya started their 2026 World Cup qualification journey with a 2-1 loss away to Gabon before bouncing back with a 5-0 win over Seychelles in November 2023. That was followed by a 1-1 draw with Burundi and a goalless draw with Ivory Coast.
Those results leave Kenya with five points from four matches, trailing Ivory Coast, who are at the top with 10 points. Gabon are second with nine points, while Burundi have seven.
Harambee Stars must win against both The Gambia and Gabon to boost their qualification hopes. A victory in both matches would see Kenya end the March 2025 qualification phase with 11 points, putting them back in contention.
Head-to-head
This will be the first-ever meeting between Harambee Stars and The Gambia’s Scorpions, with both teams eager to secure three points to improve their standings.
Kenya’s record so far includes one win and two draws, while The Gambia have secured one victory, which came in Johnathan McKinstry’s first match last June. The Scorpions have also suffered three losses, leaving them with three points from four matches.
The Gambia come into this fixture on the back of two wins, three draws, and one loss in their last six matches across all competitions. A major concern for Kenya is that one of those victories was an away win against Tunisia in the 2025 AFCON qualifiers in November 2024.
On the other hand, Kenya have one win, four draws, and one loss during that period, with three of those matches being part of the Mapinduzi Cup in Zanzibar in January.
Time & where to watch
The highly anticipated clash will kick off at 10pm Kenyan time at the Alassane Ouattara Ebimpe Olympic Stadium in Abidjan.
Kenyan fans can catch the action live on KBC TV. Additionally, the match will be among those broadcast live on SuperSport TV. DStv customers can watch the game on SuperSport PSL and Africa 1 channels, while GOtv subscribers will be able to follow Harambee Stars on GO Africa 1.
