Former AFC Leopards head coach on why Harambee Stars might struggle at 2027 AFCON
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Reading Time: 3min | Tue. 13.01.26. | 19:34
The tactician warns that Harambee Stars could find the 2027 tournament extremely challenging if fundamental issues remain unaddressed
As the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations reaches its crescendo in Morocco, attention is already beginning to shift to East Africa, where Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania will host the continent’s premier football spectacle in 2027 under the East Africa Pamoja bid.
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The three nations successfully staged the African Nations Championship (CHAN) last year, raising optimism among fans that the region is ready to deliver a memorable AFCON.
Expectations are high, with supporters hoping the host nations can go beyond the quarter-final stage they each achieved at CHAN.
However, former AFC Leopards head coach Gilbert Selebwa has urged Kenyans to temper those expectations, warning that Harambee Stars could find the 2027 tournament extremely challenging if fundamental issues remain unaddressed.
Speaking exclusively to Mozzart Sport, the veteran tactician said the level of football on display at the ongoing AFCON in Morocco has exposed a wide gap between East Africa and the continent’s elite.
“With what we are seeing at this AFCON, we need to be very realistic,” Selebwa said. “The competition is extremely high, and honestly, as things stand, Kenya will struggle.”
The Mombasa United and former Congo United coach attributed the gap largely to the level of exposure enjoyed by players from West and North Africa compared to their East African counterparts.
“You see the difference between them and us is very clear; most of the North and West African players are playing in top leagues in Europe.
They are not in funny leagues. They are playing in well-established competitions, and that exposure shows when they come to national team duty," he explained.
According to Selebwa, the quality of a country’s domestic league and national team players playing in strong foreign leagues directly reflects in international performance, something that has been evident throughout the Morocco tournament.
“League quality always reflects on performance, that is why when teams like Nigeria, Cameroon and Egypt play, you see a different level of football. Their players are exposed to top-level competition week in, week out.”
At the current AFCON, early eliminations have further highlighted the issue.
Botswana became the first team to crash out after losing their opening two group matches.
Equatorial Guinea and Gabon soon followed, while Comoros and Angola were also eliminated early despite completing all their group games.
Notably, most of the teams sent packing at that stage had few or no players featuring in well-established European leagues, reinforcing Selebwa’s argument.
Beyond player exposure, the experienced coach also pointed to infrastructural shortcomings as another major obstacle Kenya must overcome before 2027.
“When you look at North African countries like Morocco, they have many standard pitches spread across the country,” he said.
“If you want to play good football, you must invest in infrastructure. Do we have that level of infrastructure in Kenya? Not yet.”
He expressed concern over the heavy reliance on major venues such as Kasarani and Nyayo, noting that frequent non-football events often compromise pitch quality.
“In Kenya, we are trying, but we are not yet at the required standard,” Selebwa added.
"You find players training on poor surfaces, and even when fields like Kasarani or Nyayo are improved for tournaments, they are quickly affected because they host other national events that could be held elsewhere.”
He concluded that unless serious structural and developmental reforms are made, Kenya will struggle to compete with Africa’s best when the continent turns its attention to East Africa in 2027.
“From what I am seeing at this AFCON in Morocco, I do not think we are serious enough yet to compete at that level,” he said.
AFCON 2025 resumes on Wednesday, 14 January, with Senegal facing Egypt, while Nigeria take on hosts Morocco in the semi-finals. The third-place playoff is scheduled for Saturday, 17 January, with the final set for Sunday, 18 January.
