Harambee Stars’ slim chances of qualifying for the World Cup went up in smoke on Wednesday after Gabon walloped Seychelles 4-0 in a Group F fixture at National Sports Complex Pitch 1 in Mauritania.
The victory, courtesy of a hat-trick from Denis Bouanga, and substitute Yannis M’Bemba ensured that the Panthers, who played minus their lead striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, moved above Ivory Coast with 18 points, and thus ended Kenya’s chances of qualifying for their first-ever appearance at the global tournament.
When is Kenya versus Gambia and Seychelles?
Despite Gabon ending their slim hopes, Harambee Stars will now be playing for pride when they take on Gambia on Friday, September 5th, and Seychelles on Tuesday, September 9th.
Kenya, under coach Benni McCarthy, will host the two matches at Kasarani Stadium. In the first round meetings, Kenya secured a comeback 3-3 draw against Gambia but registered a resounding 5-0 win against Seychelles.
How can I watch Kenya's matches?
Kenya’s first match against Gambia on Friday will kick off at 1600hrs, and will be streamed live by government-sponsored television Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC).
The second fixture against Seychelles, which will be matchday eight of the qualifiers, is scheduled to kick off at 1600hrs and will also be transmitted live by KBC.
These matches come at a critical stage in the African qualifiers, which feature a group stage format. Teams are divided into groups, and each team plays home-and-away fixtures against their group rivals.
The top team in each group qualifies directly for the World Cup, the second round will pit the four best runners-up in two one-off semi-finals, followed by a final. The winner of this second round will participate in the FIFA Play-Off Tournament.
What have the coaches said?
Kenya coach McCarthy has sent a warning to his players to be wary of Gambia. The South African legend said: “Gambia have got top quality players, so we're gonna have to be really alert, and awake, but I think it is one game we are really looking forward to, because for us we want to collect as many points as possible.”
He added: “Chances now are slim to none because we have four games, we can get 12 points to take us to 18 points, but it depends on what Ivory Coast and Burundi will get because they are ahead of us.
“It is what it is, and we want to make use of the four remaining matches, and I want to bring a lot of local players so they can get the international experience, so we can be ready for preparations for the next World Cup.”
The former Manchester United assistant coach will miss the services of striker Ryan Ogam, whose incredible performances enabled Kenya to secure CHAN victories against Morocco and Zambia.
Ogam, who was playing for Kenyan Premier side Tusker FC, has completed a move to Austrian Bundesliga club Wolfsberger AC. The transfer marks an exciting new chapter for one of Kenya’s brightest young football talents.
Gambia coach Johnathan McKinstry, who previously coached record Kenyan champions Gor Mahia said: “It is familiar territory for me, but not for most of my players, but our focus is to win our remaining group matches to have a decent campaign.”
Currently, Kenya sits fourth in Group F with six points, behind Gabon, Ivory Coast, and Burundi. Gabon lead the pile with 18 points, Ivory Coast dropped to second with 16, while Burundi remained third with 10 points.
