The Kenya national team, Harambee Stars, has been placed in Group ‘F’ of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
The draw, which took place in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, on Thursday, July 13, saw Stars selected alongside Seychelles, Burundi, Gambia, Gabon, and Côte d’Ivoire.
Harambee Stars were in Pot 3 during the draw.
The winners of each group will earn direct qualification for the tournament. Furthermore, the top four runners-up from the groups will advance to the CAF playoff tournament.
The winner of the playoff will secure a spot in the prestigious 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The draw marks a significant moment for the national team as they return to both CAF and FIFA competitions. This comes after a one-year suspension imposed by the world governing body.
The ban had been imposed following allegations of mismanagement of funds, which led to the suspension. FIFA also cited government and judicial interference in Kenya’s football association’s matters.
The Ministry of Sports in Kenya had in November 2021 replaced the Football Kenya Federation with a caretaker committee. The caretaker committee was to take over football matters in Kenya pending investigations over the mismanagement of funds by FKF.
The ban was lifted by FIFA in late 2022 after the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) association was reinstated.
The world governing body of football – FIFA – specifically prohibits any form of government involvement in football on a national basis. Accordingly, any country’s government making a decision on these grounds is a clear breach of FIFA’s rules.
FIFA has maintained that the allegations should be investigated internally rather than by governments taking over.
At the time the ban was lifted, former Harambee Stars captain, Musa Otieno, expressed his joy at the news. The former defender quipped with joy, “That’s the news we all wanted to hear.”
