AFCON 2025 Qualifiers: Kenya’s Harambee Stars Face Namibia in Johannesburg

Kenya’s Harambee Stars head to Johannesburg, South Africa, to take on Namibia for their second match in the AFCON 2025 Qualifiers Group J. The clash is set for this evening at Orlando Stadium, which Namibia has chosen as their temporary home ground due to the absence of a CAF-approved stadium in their own country—similar to Kenya’s situation.

Following a frustrating 0-0 stalemate against Zimbabwe in their opening fixture, the Stars will be eager to claim their first victory in this qualification campaign. However, history suggests it won’t be easy. Coach Engin Firat’s squad has faced Namibia four times recently, with an even split of two wins and two losses. Notably, both losses were suffered away from home.

Namibia, despite a 1-0 loss to Cameroon in their group opener, have proven their capabilities on the continental stage, reaching the round of 16 in the previous AFCON held in Ivory Coast. In contrast, Kenya has been largely absent from the competition since their 2019 appearance in Egypt, with the FIFA ban ruling them out of the last qualifiers.

Match Day - 1

Namibia🇳🇦 🆚 Kenya 🇰🇪
🏟️ Orlando Stadium, South Africa
📅 Tuesday, September 10, 2024
⏰ 6:00 PM Local Time | 7:00 PM Kenyan Time

Tomorrow, We take on Namibia in our quest for AFCON qualification ⚽️#Tunaweza 💪 #HarambeeStars #AFCON2025 pic.twitter.com/Tl2qrCfDuu

— Harambee Stars (@Harambee__Stars) September 9, 2024

Firat faces a tough challenge, compounded by injuries to key players, most notably captain Michael Olunga, who will miss the match. “I have to find solutions, and if you look at history, Kenya has always struggled away to Namibia. It’s a tough situation, but we’re hopeful for a positive result,” Firat commented ahead of the match.

The Turkish coach also highlighted Namibia’s speed on the counter-attack, identifying Mamelodi Sundowns striker Peter Shalulile as a key player his side will need to contain.

Namibia’s coach, Collin Benjaman, expects Kenya to sit deep and rely on counter-attacks. Despite their narrow loss to Cameroon, Benjaman was pleased with his team’s overall performance. “We defended well and created several chances. That’s a positive sign, and we’ll be looking to correct our mistakes before facing Kenya,” he said.

Both coaches anticipate a tactical battle as the two teams vie for an important win in their quest for AFCON 2025 qualification.