PREVIEW: Harambee Stars look to exorcise 8-0 Senegal whitewash in clash with Estonia
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Reading Time: 2min | Fri. 27.03.26. | 08:15
The match will also mark Harambee Stars’ return to action since their 8-0 humiliation against reigning African champions Senegal on 18 November 2025
The Kenya national men's football team, Harambee Stars, return to action on Friday, 27 March, for their first match of 2026, a highly anticipated clash against Estonia in the FIFA Series scheduled at the Amahoro Stadium in Kigali, Rwanda, from 1900 hrs.
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The FIFA Series is a tournament spearheaded by the world governing football body to offer nations an opportunity to meet teams from other regions that they could not normally face in their normal cycle.
For this Rwanda Series, Kenya will face Estonia before taking on either Rwanda or Grenada.
The match will be the first time that the two nations will be facing each other, and will equally be the first time Harambee Stars will be facing a European opposition since playing Russia on 16 October 2023.
The match will also mark Harambee Stars’ return to action since their 8-0 humiliation against reigning African champions Senegal on 18 November 2025, with the Kenyan team eager to bounce back and return to winning ways.
On the other hand, Estonia won their last match, a friendly against Cyprus, even though they are still nursing the disappointment of missing out on the 2026 FIFA World Cup, having finished fourth in Group I, which will be represented at the continental tourney by Norway.
Harambee Stars head coach Benni McCarthy has clearly expressed that he is in top gear, preparing a team for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
In that regard, the former Bafana Bafana striker will benefit from the availability of naturalised players whom the country has been pursuing, including Zak Vyner of English Championship side Wrexham, who joined the team on Thursday, 26 March.
"I want to build a strong AFCON team, which means getting players of Kenyan heritage who play in strong leagues. We play Estonia next, and that's a nice opportunity to get things right,” said McCarthy on the sidelines of the team's training on Monday, 23 March.
However, McCarthy will have to work without captain Michael Olunga, who is out with an injury, as Austrian-based Ryan Ogam is expected to lead the line.
