Like Ivory Coast, Kenya has chosen France as the base for the final phase of its preparations ahead of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. The decision reflects the Kenyan Football Federation’s desire to place the national team in optimal conditions as it prepares for a long-awaited return to Africa’s biggest football tournament.
According to France Football, the Harambee Stars, coached by Frenchman Sébastien Migné, are considering several possible locations in France for their training camp. The options include Marcoussis, the renowned national football center used by the French national team, Lisses in the Essonne department, or potentially Le Touquet, located in the Pas-de-Calais region. Each of these sites offers high-quality infrastructure, modern training facilities, and a calm environment conducive to focused preparation.
Kenya’s training camp in France will run from May 30 to June 17, giving the team nearly three weeks to prepare intensively before traveling to Egypt for the Africa Cup of Nations. This extended stay will allow the technical staff to work in depth on physical conditioning, tactical organization, and team cohesion. It will also provide enough time to integrate all selected players, many of whom play abroad, into a unified and competitive squad.
In addition to daily training sessions, Kenya has lined up two international friendly matches to assess its level of readiness. The first will take place on June 7 against Madagascar, a fellow African nation that has shown steady progress in recent years. This match will offer an initial test of Kenya’s preparation and allow coach Sébastien Migné to evaluate his tactical options and player combinations.
The second friendly is scheduled against Uganda, one of Kenya’s traditional regional rivals, and will be played on either June 14 or June 15. This fixture is expected to be highly competitive, given the historical rivalry between the two sides. It will serve as a final high-intensity rehearsal before the team’s departure for the AFCON, helping the coaching staff fine-tune the starting lineup and address any remaining issues.
For Kenya, this preparation camp represents a crucial step as the Harambee Stars return to the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time in many years. The choice of France, the length of the camp, and the quality of the planned friendly matches all underline the team’s ambition to arrive in Egypt well prepared and ready to compete.
With careful planning and structured preparation, Kenya hopes to make a positive impression at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations and build a strong foundation for the future of the national team.
