Harambee Stars to play two friendlies in Asia ahead of 2027 AFCON qualifiers
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Reading Time: 2min | Sun. 17.05.26. | 15:41
Historically, Kenya has never met the two nations, which are all ranked above them on the FIFA rankings
Kenya men’s national football team,Harambee Stars, will play two friendly matches in Asia next month to help them prepare for the upcoming 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers, set to begin in September.
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The Football Kenya Federation (FKF) on Sunday, 17 May confirmed that Benni McCarthy’s side will travel to Kyrgyzstan to play its home national team on Wednesday, 3 June, before battling out with Palestine three days later on Saturday, 6 June.
The June international window lines up friendlies against Kyrgyzstan and Palestine.
— Harambee Stars (@Harambee__Stars) May 17, 2026
Read more 👉 https://t.co/G9IEajfImX #HarambeeStars pic.twitter.com/2g7wFAfOan
As per the Federation, the two matches are expected to offer the technical bench another opportunity to assess the squad, and continue building cohesion ahead of a busy competitive schedule.
Going with Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) quest to involve tournament host nations in qualification groups, all of the 2027 AFCON hosts: Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, will play in the September 2026 to March 2027 qualifiers, giving Harambee Stars the impetus to keep their competitive levels high.
Against the two Asian nations, Kenya will come up against stronger opponents, this at least, going by the latest FIFA rankings.
Hosts Kyrgyzstan stand four positions above Kenya at 107, with Palestine the hightest ranked among the trio in number 95.
Historically, Harambee Stars have never played against the two countries, offering them an opportunity to test new waters, just like they did during the March FIFA Series friendlies against Estonia and Grenada.
“These are nice build-up matches as we continue building up for the upcoming AFCON 2027 qualifiers,” Kenya National Teams Coordinator Athanus Obala said of the twin friendlies, scheduled for the city of Bishkek.
“The games will give the technical bench a good opportunity to further assess the team and continue strengthening the squad.”
Kenya, in the aforementioned FIFA Series held in Rwanda, drew 1-1 with Estonia, before blowing away Grenada 3-0, for the team’s first win of the year.
