Why a Solid Defence Will Be Key in Harambee Stars Quest for 2025 AFCON Ticket

After missing the past two editions, Harambee Stars will be hoping for a positive start in the hunt for a return ticket to the Africa Cup of Nations when the qualifiers get underway this week.

Stars were excluded from the qualifiers for the 2023 finals, held in Ivory Coast early this year, and failed to punch a ticket for the 2021 showpiece staged in Cameroon.

The team is placed in pool J of the qualifiers alongside; five-time champions Cameroon, Namibia and Zimbabwe, who were also locked out of the previous qualifiers thanks to FIFA suspension.

Kenya last graced the biannual event in 2019 in Egypt and will kick off the scramble for the available two tickets in the group against Zimbabwe on Friday.

Kenya would have hosted the game, but the lack of a CAF-approved stadium means that the encounter will be staged in Uganda.

Stars will take on Namibia on September 10 in South Africa in the second qualifier. Namibia and Kenya share similar stadia shame.

SportsBoom.com caught up with two of the players who played a significant role in guiding Stars to qualify for the 2019 finals for their insights and what representing the country at the continental level means.

Watertight Defence Key in Qualifiers

Retired Kenyan international Jockins Atudo believes one of the easiest ways of bagging the ticket to the finals is having a strong defence.

Atudo, who hung up his boots three years ago, said a strong defence especially when playing away matches, worked well in 2029 and had, for a long time, been proven as the best way of qualifying for tournaments.

Atudo, who could easily slot in at right back and at the heart of the defence during his active years, said the team had demonstrated that scoring wasn't a challenge and called on the technical bench to fix all loopholes at the back ahead of the first game.Watertight Defence Key in Qualifiers

Atudo's thoughts were backed by veteran midfielder Dennis Odhiambo, who was part of the team that qualified and played in the finals in Egypt.

Odhiambo, who pulled out of retirement in February for a move to Murang'a Seal, insisted on mounting a strong defence in away matches and capitalizing on scoring chances.

During the 2019 qualifiers, Kenya conceded a single goal in the campaign despite coming up against strong opponents like former champions Ghana and Ethiopia.

Image Credits: TONY KARUMBA/AFP via Getty Images

"The last time we qualified, our defence was so strong that we conceded just a goal. With Michael Olunga upfront, we are assured of goals and thus, our worry should be how best can we defend," Odhiambo told SportsBoom.com. 

Playing Away Shouldn't Be an Issue in First Two Qualifiers

Home advantage and support comes in handy in such kinds of matches, but Atudo feels that Stars will easily bag six points from the first two matches considering both matches will be in neutral venues.

The former Tusker defender observed that the team had registered impressive results in away matches and backed it to be on top of Group J at the end of the September FIFA window.

"Playing at home is extremely important but there is nothing the team can do about the state of our facilities. The first two qualifiers will be in neutral venues which should not be a problem for the team," he said.

Kenya has played in front of home fans once from the time FIFA lifted the suspension in November 2022. The single home match since then was an international friendly match against South Sudan.

The last time Stars played a qualifier match at home was in November 2021 against Rwanda at the Nyayo National Stadium.

Odhiambo says the team has the potential to get positive results as their underdogs no longer exist in football.

"The team has been together for a while, and I don't think they will struggle in the qualifiers. We would have wished to watch them play at home, but we hope the government will have sorted out the stadia challenge before the next round of qualifiers. I believe we will get good results in the opening two matches," said the former Sofapaka man.