NAIROBI, Kenya – Harambee Stars head coach Benni McCarthy has questioned Kenya’s chances of winning the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), arguing that the national team lacks the resources and squad strength to compete with the continent’s established football powerhouses.
The South African tactician delivered his assessment during a press conference on Thursday, October 8, 2026, warning against expecting an immediate continental triumph simply because Kenya will co-host the tournament alongside Uganda and Tanzania.
McCarthy said even a substantial financial reward would not make him confident of leading Harambee Stars to the title against some of Africa’s strongest national teams.
“Even if you were to pay me millions and millions of dollars to win AFCON, I don’t think Kenya has the resources and the team strong enough to compete with Morocco, Egypt, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal. Those are the powerhouses in African football,” McCarthy said.
The coach’s comments have put Kenya’s ambitions under scrutiny as the country prepares to host Africa’s biggest international football competition alongside its East African neighbours.
However, McCarthy insisted that he was being realistic about the team’s current limitations rather than dismissing its potential.
“Kenya can win AFCON, but it’s highly unlikely we would have a chance to win. I’m not disrespecting anybody. I’m just being honest and humble in that opinion,” he added.
McCarthy singled out Morocco, Egypt, Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal as examples of the level Kenya must reach to compete for the AFCON trophy.
These national teams have established themselves as major forces in African football, with experience in high-pressure continental competitions and players who compete at top levels internationally.
The coach also cautioned against allowing the excitement surrounding AFCON 2027 to create expectations that the national team cannot yet meet.
Kenya’s status as a co-host will give Harambee Stars the opportunity to compete before home supporters. However, McCarthy believes that home advantage alone cannot replace the experience and depth required to win a continental championship.
McCarthy believes Kenya’s ambitions should extend beyond the 2027 tournament, with sustained investment in players and football development forming the basis of a future title challenge.
The coach pointed to the emergence of younger Kenyan footballers, including those playing in European leagues, as a promising development for the national team.
“Kenya doesn’t have a long history in African football, where they’ve done well in previous AFCONs. But now we have a new generation of players, young players. Many of them play their football in Europe,” he said.
He acknowledged that the current squad is gradually improving but maintained that progress will require patience.
“The team, the national team, is slowly but surely getting much better to a good level,” McCarthy said.
The tactician suggested that Kenya could need approximately 10 years to develop into a team capable of winning AFCON.
“And from there, as we saw in the FIFA World Cup, many African countries were able to get out of the group stages and hopefully progress slowly and maybe get to quarter-finals, semi-finals possibility but to win AFCON, maybe 10 years from now,” he said.
McCarthy wants Kenya and its fellow co-hosts to focus on delivering a successful competition while improving their performances on the pitch. He said the immediate priority should be ensuring that the tournament succeeds in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
“For us, the main objective is to host the tournament and make sure that the AFCON is a big success for Kenya, for Tanzania, and for Uganda, who are hosting,” he said.
McCarthy also wants the East African teams to progress beyond the group stage and build towards reaching the quarter-finals and semi-finals.
McCarthy’s assessment came after Kenya completed the October international window without a win, recording two draws and one defeat.
Harambee Stars drew 1-1 with Eritrea, lost 1-0 away to Guinea and drew with Rwanda.
