Matchday: Harambee Stars face Lesotho ahead of 2027 AFCON qualifiers
By Joel Masibo, June 4, 2026The Kenya national football team, Harambee Stars, will on Thursday, June 4, 2026, face Lesotho in South Africa in one of the build-up fixtures ahead of the scheduled 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in September 2026.
The Benni McCarthy side has made several changes to its plans for the June FIFA international break after unforeseen logistical issues disrupted the originally arranged matches.
Initially, Harambee Stars were expected to play friendly matches against Palestine and Kyrgyzstan. However, those fixtures have been cancelled and replaced with two matches against Lesotho.
Both encounters will be staged at Lucas Moripe Stadium in Pretoria, South Africa, where the team will continue its preparations during the international window. The first match is scheduled for Thursday. The second will take place on Sunday, June 7, 2026. Kick-off for both games is set for 4:00 pm East Africa Time.
The squad has also undergone adjustments. Goalkeeper Byrne Omondi, forward Ryan Ogam, and defender Job Ochieng will not travel with the team. Their places have been filled by Brian Bwire, Kelly Madada, and Amos Nondi, who have been drafted into the squad ahead of the two fixtures.
Players assembled in camp on on Monday, June 1, 2026, where they commenced training before departing for South Africa the following day, Tuesday, June 2, 2026
The upcoming matches will give the coaching staff another chance to evaluate the squad and fine-tune preparations as Kenya continues to build towards future continental competitions, including upcoming qualification campaigns.
Road to AFCON 2027
The road to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations is set to begin for the Kenya national football team, with the Harambee Stars scheduled to open their qualification campaign against Eritrea in Nairobi.
The qualification matches will be played across three international windows. Matchdays one and two are scheduled between September 21 and October 6, 2026, while matchdays three and four will take place from November 9 to 17, 2026. The final two rounds of fixtures are set for March 22 to 30, 2027.
Although Kenya has already secured a place at the continental showpiece as one of the tournament’s co-hosts alongside Uganda and Tanzania, the national side will still take part in the qualification series.
Kenya is drawn in Group D together with Eritrea, Guinea, and South Africa in what promises to be a competitive campaign. The qualifiers will allow Harambee Stars to test themselves against top opposition and continue building momentum ahead of hosting the tournament in 2027.
The Stars will begin their journey at home against Eritrea before travelling away to face Guinea in their second fixture. Matchday three will see Kenya take on South Africa away from home before the return leg against Bafana Bafana in Nairobi.