Harambee Stars’ 2026 World Cup hopes hanging by thread after Gabon win over Seychelles
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Reading Time: 2min | Thu. 04.09.25. | 08:22
The best Stars can realistically hope for is a playoff spot, a route that looks almost impossible given how the standings look like
Harambee Stars’ World Cup dream is hanging by the slimmest of threads after Gabon hammered Seychelles 4-0 on Wednesday to seize control of Group F.
The victory in Saint Pierre lifted the Panthers to 18 points, the maximum tally Kenya can reach if they win their remaining four matches.
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With Stars having already lost home and away to Gabon, they have no head-to-head advantage over them—meaning automatic qualification is out of reach.
The best they can realistically hope for is a playoff spot, a route that looks almost impossible.
Kenya, stuck on six points from as many games, hosts The Gambia in Nairobi on Friday in what is effectively a must-win clash.
Even then, their survival depends on other results, starting with Burundi upsetting Ivory Coast the same day. Failure to win would end their campaign with two rounds still to spare.
Coach Benni McCarthy admits the odds are against his side but insists the focus must now shift to building for the future.
“It is what it is, and we want to make use of the four remaining matches,” he said.
“I want to bring in a lot of local players so they can get international experience and help us prepare for the next World Cup.”
In Mauritania, Gabon showed why they are the favorites. Los Angeles FC striker Denis Bouanga tore Seychelles apart with a first-half hat trick inside 38 minutes before substitute Yannis M’Bemba struck late to complete the rout.
Bouanga’s treble took his tally to eight goals in the qualifiers, moving him above Egypt’s Mohamed Salah at the top of the scoring charts.
The Panthers now sit two points clear of Ivory Coast, who face Burundi on Friday before a potential group decider against Gabon later in the window. Seychelles, meanwhile, remain rooted to the bottom without a point.
Harambee Stars impressed on their CHAN debut in Kenya, reaching the quarterfinals.
But with no AFCON action in December and the 2026 CHAN dates yet to be confirmed, the team could face a long spell without competitive football.
