Football
Exclusive: Harambee Stars to Use Chartered Flight for Cameroon AFCON double-header
Harambee Stars will travel via a chartered flight for their AFCON double-header against Cameroon. Coach Engin Firat is confident this logistical boost will aid their campaign for qualification.
Image Credits: SIMON MAINA/AFP via Getty Images
Kenya’s national team Harambee Stars will board a chartered flight for their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) back-to-back fixtures against Cameroon.
The East African nation will continue with their quest to clinch a ticket to the 35th edition of the biennial African football tournament organised by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) with their matchday three fixture against the Indomitable Lions set for Friday, October 11 at Japoma Stadium.
Kenya will then return to host the African giants in the matchday four at the Stade Nelson Mandela Stadium in Uganda, on Monday October 14.
Harambee Stars, who are seeking their seventh appearance in the African competition, are currently topping Group J with four points, the same number as Cameroon, while Zimbabwe is third on two points and Namibia without a single point.
Kenya kicked off their campaign with a 0-0 draw against Zimbabwe at the Nelson Mandela Stadium before recovering to beat the Brave Warriors of Namibia 2-1 courtesy of goals from John Avire and Duke Abuya at Orlando Stadium in South Africa.
However, immediately after securing the victory against the Brave Warriors, Kenyan coach Engin Firat shifted his focus to the Cameroon double-header but remained concerned with the fact that the players could be tired to play the Indomitable Lions if they don’t get a chartered plane for their trip.
“It is crucial for us that the government helps us with a chartered flight or otherwise the players will be too tired to get any result or something from the game, I ask the Ministry of Sports to help us with a chartered flight for such games,” Firat said.
“We have this situation, Cameroon will not play in Yaounde or Doula, so they will play somewhere inside (remote area), it means there is not direct flight to enter, if you don’t have any chartered flight then it will be a big nightmare to arrive there, and will be another nightmare when trying to go back from there (after the game).”
The former Moldova tactician added: “Therefore, it is like in every other country when they ask the government, the government of course helps the national team, with a chartered flight.
Otherwise, like I said, you have no chance to play these matches under such situations, if you have to go, I don’t know three stops (before reaching your destination), and you have to wait I don’t know in every stop how many hours before proceeding with the journey, it will be a difficult situation for my players and that is for sure.
Nick Mwendwa
Kenya To Depart via Chartered Plane on Thursday
Football Kenya Federation (FKF) President Nick Mwerndwa has confirmed that Firat’s concerns have been addressed and that the Kenyan government has provided a chartered plane, to carry the team, who will leave the country on Thursday for the first meeting against Cameroon.
“Yes, it will be via a chartered flight,” Mwendwa told SportsBoom.com when asked how the team will travel to Yaounde, Cameroon. “We have secured a chartered plane, and the team will leave tomorrow (Thursday) October 10.”
We will again use the same flight to take the players to Uganda for the second game. They will leave Cameroon on Saturday, after the game on Friday to Uganda.
Nick Mwendwa
The last time Kenya used a chartered plane for an away fixture was during their 2018 World Cup qualifier against Cape Verde in 2015.
Mwendwa Confident Kenya Will Seal AFCON Ticket
Mwendwa remained optimistic that Kenya will punch their ticket to the AFCON tournament to be held in the North African nation from 21 December 2025–18 January 2026.
“We are topping our group, and we have only played two matches, now we come up against one of the best teams in Africa, but I am happy we already have some of our injured players back, so it is a good motivation to the other players and they know exactly what we want from them.” said Mwendwa.
“We want to qualify for another AFCON, it not a secret, we want to help these team with everything they want so that we can achieve the target, it is a positive start for us, a win and a draw not a bad result considering that most our our key players were out injured.”
He continued: “We want six points from Cameroon but of course if we can get even four it will be good for us. Then we still have to play Zimbabwe and Namibia again, and see what happens, but our target remains to qualify for the 2025 AFCON tournament.”
Mwendwa was in charge of FKF when Kenya last qualified for the AFCON in 2019. During the 32nd edition of the competition held in Egypt, Kenya failed to go past the group stage.
Having been pooled in Group C alongside Senegal, Algeria and Tanzania, they lost their opener 2-0 against the Desert Foxes, beat neighbours Taifa Stars 3-2 before losing 3-0 against the Lions of Teranga to exit the tournament at the group stage.
Firat Boosted with the Return of Key Players
As Kenya prepares to face Cameroon, coach Firat received a boost with injured players led by striker and captain Michael Olunga, Masoud Juma and Daniel Anyembe reporting to camp and training with the team.
None of the players was involved as Kenya battled Zimbabwe and Namibia. In fact, Olunga was solely missed upfront as Kenya struggled to break down the Warriors of Zimbabwe in the game they fired blanks.
He has, however, recovered from the injury played for his club Al Duhail SC in the Qatar Stars League scoring two goals from three appearances. However, Firat could have to do without the services of Gor Mahia midfielder Austin Odhiambo, who is struggling with an injury. Odhiambo picked the injury during K’Ogalo 4-0 Premier League win against Mathare United in their season opener.
Odhiambo, who scored the opening goal in the game, has not been training with the team despite being named in the provisional squad.
In history, the first ever fixture between Kenya and Cameroon was played back in 1972 AFCON where the Indomitable Lions were the hosts. Kenya drew 1-1 against Togo and Mali after falling 2-1 to the hosts Cameroon.
AFC Leopards SC legend, the late Jonathan Niva; who was the national team captain and player coach at that time, scored the consolation goal for Kenya making history on the way as the first ever AFCON goal scorer for the Kenyan national team.
The Kenya- Cameroon fixture has seen seven competitive matches played with Kenya drawing four and losing three. The highlight of this fixtures was in 1998 AFCON qualifiers where Kenya was in the same group with Cameroon. Kenya held the star-studded Cameroon squad that boasted the likes of Misse Misse, Alphonce Tchami, Marc Vivien Foe among others to a 0-0 draw in Nairobi.
The reverse fixture was played in Yaounde in 1997, and Kenya's legends coached by Reinhard Fabisch and included Francis Onyiso, Ken Simiyu, Tom Juma, John Lichuku, and others held Cameroon to a 1-1 draw with Francis Were scoring for Harambee Stars.
The last match between these two nations was a friendly match in Nairobi in 2010 where Kenya lost 3-1.
Dennis is a seasoned journalist in Kenya with over 18 years of experience. Having started his career at Kenya Times Newspaper, Dennis worked for Standard Newspaper for nearly six years as a Sports Writer. At Standard, he was privileged to cover Kenya's national team Harambee Stars outside the country, the biggest of all being the Four Nations tournament in Cairo, Egypt. He also covered the U17 team in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.