Listen to This Article Enhance your reading experience by listening to this article.

Football Kenya Federation President Nick Mwendwa is hopeful that Harambee Stars will qualify for the 2026 World Cup finals.

Mwendwa’s expressed his confidence ahead of a crucial clash against Ivory Coast on Tuesday, June 11, 2024. This match will be held at the National Stadium in Lilongwe, Malawi.

The FKF supremo is confident despite the fact that Kenya were unable to pick up maximum points against Burundi in the previous qualifier. Despite taking the lead in the first half, Kenya surrendered it and allowed the Swallows to strike back as the game ended in a 1-1 draw.

“Yes, we do have a chance to qualify; the chance is still there; we have to do our part and beat Ivory Coast; we are not out yet; we have a big chance to make history; and the dream (of qualifying) still lives on,” Mwendwa said, as quoted by a local publication.

The FA chief also said they have talked with the players to help them get focused on the Ivory Coast game and forget about the one-all draw against Burundi.

“We have talked to the players and tried to psyche them up; we don’t want a situation where they will continue to think about the Burundi game.” 

“We have a big one coming up against Ivory Coast, and that is where our focus is for now; we must do everything possible to get a win,” he added.

Fae’s take

The game against Ivory Coast is expected to be tough, given that the Elephants top the group with nine points. After three games, the AFCON champions are yet to lose, and this presents Harambee Stars – with only one win in the same number of games – with a tougher challenge.

As Mwendwa remains confident, Emerse Fae, the Ivory Coast head coach, praised Kenya and pointed out the threats he expects from the East Africans during the game.

Kenya is a good team. It has a good striker, Michael Olunga, who is a great player with the ability to play in different formations. Kenya is a difficult team to play against, and we know they are working hard to be the first team to beat the African champions. We are for sure prepared to face a tough opposition,” Fae told the media.

For these and more credible stories, join our revamped Telegram and WhatsApp channels.

Telegram: https://t.me/peopledailydigital

WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va698juDOQIToHyu1p