Kenya’s men’s national football team is the Harambee Stars - from harambee, “let’s all pull together”, the national motto. In June 2027 they play an Africa Cup of Nations at home for the first time, as co-hosts with Uganda and Tanzania.
Kenya at the AFCON
Kenya has qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations six times: 1972, 1988, 1990, 1992, 2004 and 2019. The team has never got past the group stage.
- 2004, Tunisia - Kenya’s first AFCON win, 3-0 against Burkina Faso.
- 2019, Egypt - after 15 years away, Kenya beat neighbours Tanzania 3-2 in a thrilling group match, but went out at the group stage.
AFCON 2027 is the chance to go further, with home crowds behind them.
CHAN 2024 - the dress rehearsal
In August 2025, Kenya co-hosted the African Nations Championship (CHAN) - a tournament for players based in their home leagues - with Uganda and Tanzania. The Harambee Stars:
- topped their group, including a famous 1-0 win over Morocco at Kasarani,
- then lost the quarter-final to Madagascar on penalties after a 1-1 draw.
It showed what a home crowd can do - and, with crowd trouble at Kasarani and fines from CAF, what has to be better organised for AFCON.
The coach
Benni McCarthy, the South African former striker who won the Champions League with Porto and later coached at Manchester United, was appointed in March 2025, with a contract through AFCON 2027.
The road to 2027
As co-hosts, Kenya are already in the finals. They still play qualifying Group D - against South Africa, Guinea and Eritrea - for competitive matches. Only the best-placed team other than Kenya qualifies from the group.
- 26 September 2026 - Kenya 1-1 Eritrea at Nyayo, with Ryan Ogam equalising in the 87th minute.
- 1 October 2026 - Guinea v Kenya in Conakry.
- 11 November 2026 - Kenya v South Africa in Nairobi.
- March 2027 - the final qualifying matches.
The AFCON hub keeps the fixtures and results up to date, with a button to add them to your calendar.
The Harambee Starlets
Kenya’s women’s national team is the Harambee Starlets. The women’s AFCON (WAFCON) is a separate tournament - follow them too.
How to support
- Buy tickets early through official channels. See Tickets and Fan ID.
- Wear the red, green and black - national team shirts and flags are sold all over Nairobi before big matches.
- Learn the chants - start with “Twende Harambee Stars!” See the fan phrasebook on the AFCON hub.
- Behave - crowd trouble at CHAN brought fines and reduced capacity. The best support is loud and peaceful.
Kenyan football to follow
The domestic league is the FKF Premier League, with big Nairobi clubs such as Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards, whose rivalry, the Mashemeji Derby, is Kenya’s biggest club match. See Sport and fitness in Nairobi.