• FOOTBALL

• Frank Rotich 11 hrs ago

McCarthy faces his own country as Harambee Stars drawn against South Africa in AFCON 2027 qualifiers

Harambee Stars head coach Benni McCarthy is set for an emotional battle against his home country after Kenya was drawn with South Africa in the AFCON 2027 qualifiers.

The draw held on Tuesday in Cairo placed Kenya in Group D together with South Africa, Guinea and Eritrea.

McCarthy, who remains South Africa’s all-time top scorer, will now guide Harambee Stars against the nation where he built his football legacy as both a player and coach.

The former striker enjoyed a successful career with clubs in Europe and later coached in South Africa before taking charge of Kenya.

Although Kenya has already qualified automatically for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations as co-hosts alongside Uganda and Tanzania, Harambee Stars will still take part in the qualifiers. CAF confirmed that only one other team from Kenya’s group will qualify for the tournament. 

The draw has revived memories of Kenya’s past battles with South Africa. Harambee Stars shocked Bafana Bafana with a famous 1-0 victory in Nairobi during the 2002 AFCON qualifiers before South Africa won the return match by the same score.

The two sides also met in the 2015 qualifiers, where Kenya managed a goalless draw at home before narrowly losing 1-0 away in Mbombela.

Kenya will also be seeking revenge against Eritrea, who stunned Harambee Stars during the 2008 AFCON qualification campaign. Eritrea defeated Kenya both home and away in a disappointing campaign for the Stars.

Guinea also presents another difficult challenge. The two countries have shared a balanced rivalry over the years, with each side winning four matches in their last eight competitive meetings.

The AFCON 2027 qualifiers will begin in September 2026, with the final matches scheduled for March 2027.

The 2027 tournament will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, marking the first time East Africa will host the continental competition in nearly 40 years.