Practice will make perfect...one step at a time

Kenya will host Seychelles on Tuesday at Kasarani in a dead-rubber 2026 World Cup qualifier, with both teams already out of the race for a ticket to the USA-Mexico-Canada showpiece.

The Harambee Stars were officially eliminated last Friday after falling 3-1 to Gambia, a result that left them fifth in Group F with just six points.

Seychelles, on the other hand, remain rooted at the bottom of the table without a single point, having lost all their matches.

At the top end of the group, African champions Ivory Coast are cruising with 19 points, followed closely by Gabon on 18. Burundi are third with 10 points, while Gambia occupy fourth place on seven.

For Kenya, today’s match is not about qualification but about pride, history, and giving fans something to cheer about.

The Stars have every reason to feel confident. History has heavily favoured them in this fixture.

Out of nine past meetings, Seychelles have only won once—back in 1974 during the Independence Tournament in Nairobi, where they stunned Kenya 3-2. Since then, it has been one-way traffic.

Kenya has beaten Seychelles seven times and drawn once, including a goalless stalemate in 1998. Stars have won all of their last five meetings, the highlight being a resounding 5-0 win away in Victoria in November 2023 in the first leg of these qualifiers.

Despite disappointment over another failed World Cup campaign, local fans are urging the team to step up.

“Harambee Stars must rise to the occasion,” said Harambee Stars fan Benard Ondari from Kisumu.

“We know qualification is gone, but this is about pride and showing the nation that the team is still strong. Seychelles are not at our level, and we must finish the qualifiers with dignity.”

Ondari also called on coach Benni McCarthy to trust more home-based players after Kenya’s struggles in the last match.

“Against Gambia, we started with eight foreign-based players, but the team looked lost in the first half and went down 3-0,” said Ondari.

“It was only when Alpha Onyango, Manzur Okwaro, and Ryan Ogam came in, that we saw stability in midfield and attack. The Chan squad showed great potential, and McCarthy should give them more minutes.”

Under the new format, Africa will send nine teams to the 2026 World Cup. The nine group winners from the qualifiers will book automatic tickets.

In addition, the four best runner-up across all groups will enter a continental playoff.

The winner of that playoff will then join the Fifa Play-off Tournament, where six nations from different continents will fight for the final two slots at the World Cup.