Harambee Stars land in Malawi for WCQ ‘home’ matches

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Harambee Stars land in Malawi for WCQ ‘home’ matches

Sunday 02nd June, 2024 12:47 PM| By Collins Amanga

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Harambee Stars have landed in Malawi ahead of the World Cup Qualifier home matches scheduled for June.

The team, which left the country early in the morning, arrived in Malawi mid-morning and is expected to continue preparations for the matches set for later this week.

Harambee Stars announcement

“Hello Malawi! The Harambee Stars have landed! We’re thrilled to call Malawi our home for the upcoming qualifiers. Ready to face Burundi and Ivory Coast here in Malawi. Thank you for the warm welcome and support!” Harambee Stars announced.

Harambee Stars celebrate after winning the Four Nations Cup. PHOTO/FKF

The first match will see the Harambee Stars face Burundi on June 7, followed by a clash against Ivory Coast on June 11.

Both matches will take place at the Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe, Malawi. Preparations for the qualifiers commenced on Tuesday, May 21, 2024, in Nairobi.

Despite being the home team, the Harambee Stars will play both matches in Malawi due to the unavailability of Nyayo National Stadium and Kasarani Stadium.

These are the only stadiums in Kenya provisionally approved by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for international matches and are currently undergoing renovation ahead of the 2024 African Nations Championships (CHAN) and the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which Kenya will co-host alongside Tanzania and Uganda.

Kenya are currently placed third out of six in Group F of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, having accumulated three points from their opening two matches against Gabon and Seychelles. The road to the 48-team World Cup, set to be held across 16 cities in Canada, Mexico, and the United States, remains challenging.

Harambee Stars pool

Only the top team in the group, consisting of Ivory Coast, Gabon, Burundi, The Gambia, Seychelles, and Kenya, will secure direct qualification.

Harambee Stars' training session. PHOTO/(@Harambee__Stars)/X — Harambee Stars’ training session. PHOTO/(@Harambee__Stars)/X

Four of the best runners-up from the nine groups will compete in a playoff, determining CAF’s representative in the Inter-confederation playoffs involving six teams, ultimately deciding the last two FIFA World Cup berths.