Kenya’s national football team, Harambee Stars, is facing the harsh reality of potentially missing out on the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), with two key players, Bryne Omondi and Geoffrey Ochieng, believing that home advantage could have drastically changed their fate. The duo insists that playing their home qualifiers against Zimbabwe and Cameroon in Nairobi rather than Uganda would have left Kenya in a far stronger position in Group J.
Currently, Zimbabwe is on the verge of clinching the final qualification spot in the group, with Kenya’s hopes hanging by a thread.
If Zimbabwe holds Kenya to a draw in their upcoming second-leg encounter, the Warriors will secure their place at the expense of the Stars, leaving Kenya with nothing to play for in the final match of the group stage.
Kenya has been forced to play its home matches at Mandela Stadium in Namboole, Uganda, due to ongoing renovations at Nairobi’s Kasarani Stadium.
Additionally, Nyayo Stadium was deemed unsuitable to host the AFCON qualifiers, meaning Kenya has not been able to benefit from the crucial home-ground advantage throughout the campaign.
Omondi and Ochieng argue that playing the crucial qualifiers against Zimbabwe and Cameroon in Uganda significantly hurt Kenya’s chances of securing vital points.
The Stars managed only a 0-0 draw with Zimbabwe and suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to Cameroon in matches that, under normal circumstances, would have been held in Nairobi.
“Playing in Uganda felt like an away match, even though we were supposed to be the home team,” said goalkeeper Omondi, who has been a key figure in Kenya’s qualifying campaign. “I don’t think we would have dropped points if we had played in Nairobi.
Kenyans would have come out in large numbers to support us and push us towards getting maximum points.”
His teammate, Geoffrey Ochieng, echoed these sentiments, adding that Cameroon’s qualification to the finals was partly due to their ability to play in front of their home crowd.
Ochieng, who featured in the last round of qualifiers, highlighted the powerful influence of the fans in Yaoundé, where Cameroon’s supporters provided unwavering support to their team.
“The connection between Cameroonian players and their fans was clear,” Ochieng remarked. “They pushed their team throughout the match, and in the end, Cameroon won convincingly.
The absence of fans in our matches against Zimbabwe and Cameroon in Uganda was felt.
Fan support can make all the difference in such important games.”
Despite back-to-back defeats to Cameroon, both Omondi and Ochieng remain hopeful that Kenya can still secure qualification to AFCON 2025.
The Harambee Stars must now win their remaining matches against Zimbabwe and Namibia to keep their dreams alive, although both fixtures will again be played in neutral venues as Kasarani remains unfit for use.
Kenya’s hopes also rest on Cameroon, who will need to defeat Zimbabwe in their final group match to give the Stars a lifeline.
Omondi is aware of the magnitude of the task ahead but remains determined to deliver on the promise the team made to the nation before the qualifiers began.
“We have to redeem ourselves in the last two matches,” said Omondi. “We didn’t get the results we wanted against Cameroon, but we played well in the second leg.
We’re capable of winning the next two matches and qualifying for AFCON.”
With two crucial matches remaining, Kenya’s fate may not be entirely in their hands, but Omondi and Ochieng are confident that the team can still make it to Morocco for AFCON 2025.
