NAIROBI, Kenya, January 30 – Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba is hopeful Harambee Stars will not flirt with early elimination from the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations like Ivory Coast did in this year’s edition on their home soil.
Namwamba said he does not want Kenya to merely make the numbers at the continental competition but to go all the way to the latter stages.
“You all saw what happened to Cote d’Ivoire (losing 4-0 to Equatorial Guinea in their last Pool A match). We do not want to be mere participants in Afcon 2027. I was watching their match against Equatorial Guinea and the way they were pepetwad (thrashed) and was asking myself that if it’s Harambee Stars that were to be pepetwad like this, will we be able to even leave the stadium,” the CS said.
The Elephants were humbled by the Nzalang Nacional before tens of thousands of their fans and only qualified for the round of 16 by virtue of Morocco’s 1-0 win over Zambia.
Although the Ivorians redeemed themselves on Monday night by beating defending champions Senegal on post-match penalties in their round of 16 clash, the humiliation at the hands of the lowly Central Africans will remain etched in the history of the competition.
Coincidentally, Kenya face Cote d’Ivoire in Nairobi in June this year in their fourth match of the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign in Group F.
The Ivorians have been imperious thus far, thrashing Seychelles 9-0 on November 17 last year, before drubbing Gambia 2-0 away, three days later.
On the other hand, Stars began their campaign with a 2-1 loss away to Gabon before humiliating Seychelles 5-0.
Namwamba said investment in youth development will be key to building a strong national team that will compete with the creme-de-la-creme of African football come 2027.
“We want to field youth teams at all levels of competition in Africa and the world. We want to develop talent from the grassroots so that we can have a strong team of Harambee Stars to compete in 2027,” he said.
Kenya will co-host the continental showpiece alongside neighbours Uganda and Tanzania — the latter being part of the 24 teams in action at this year’s edition in Ivory Coast.
