McCarthy urges Harambee Stars to fight on after Gabon's win dealt huge blow to Kenya's World Cup dreams

Harambee Stars coach Benni McCarthy. (Photo: FKF Media)

By Erick Kariuki
Thursday, September 4, 2025

Anything less than three points would end their campaign with two rounds still to play.

Kenya’s hopes of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup suffered a huge setback on Wednesday night after Gabon thrashed Seychelles 4-0 in Saint Pierre to seize control of Group F.

The emphatic victory lifted the Panthers to 18 points, the same maximum tally Harambee Stars can only reach if they win their remaining four matches.

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However, with Kenya having already lost home and away to Gabon, they hold no head-to-head advantage over the Panthers. That effectively rules out automatic qualification, leaving Stars clinging to a slim chance of sneaking into a playoff spot.

Currently, Kenya sits on six points from as many games and now faces a must-win clash against The Gambia at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, on Friday. Anything less than three points would end their campaign with two rounds still to play.

Even a victory may not be enough, as their fate is now intertwined with other results beginning with Burundi upsetting the Ivory Coast on the same day.

Despite the grim mathematics, head coach Benni McCarthy struck an optimistic but cautious tone during Thursday’s pre-match press conference. He praised the talent at his disposal and called for tactical flexibility as the Stars prepare to battle The Gambia.

“As a coach and as a technical team, you have to be flexible in football. You can’t just think it’s that way or the highway,” McCarthy said.

“At the moment, it’s exciting times because we’ve got probably the best players in the country at our disposal. Every game we play, we want to win because I believe the squad is good enough to do so.”

McCarthy admitted that Kenya’s late start in the qualifiers had put them at a disadvantage, but he insisted the focus must remain on the future. “It is what it is, and we want to make use of the four remaining matches,” he noted. “I want to bring in a lot of local players so they can get international experience and help us prepare for the next World Cup.”

The South African tactician also stressed the importance of youth development and infrastructure investment, welcoming President William Ruto’s pledge to build up to 30 new stadiums across the country.

“Youth football is the future, and we must create pathways for the next five to ten years,” McCarthy said. “When you have the infrastructure and facilities, only success can come from that. Playing at a packed Kasarani during CHAN made every young kid dream of becoming the next Michael Olunga.”

Meanwhile in Mauritania, Los Angeles FC forward Denis Bouanga fired a devastating first-half hat trick inside 38 minutes before Yannis M’Bemba struck late to seal Gabon’s emphatic victory over Seychelles. Bouanga’s treble lifted him to eight goals in the qualifiers, making him the competition’s top scorer ahead of Egypt’s Mohamed Salah.

The result leaves Gabon two points clear of the Ivory Coast, who face Burundi on Friday in what could set up a group decider against the Panthers later in the window. Seychelles remain bottom without a point.

For Kenya, the task is clear: beat The Gambia and keep fighting, even if the dream of reaching North America in 2026 is fading fast. As McCarthy put it, the Harambee Stars’ mission is now not just about results, but about building a foundation for the future.