McCarthy says Kenya has a long way to go after World Cup miss

Harambee Stars head coach Benni MacCarthy during training session at Police Sacco on August 16, 2025. [Stafford Ondego, Stafford]

Harambee Stars head coach Benni McCarthy believes Kenya must continue building and learning if they are to compete with Africa's top football nations after another poor show in the World Cup qualifiers.

Speaking after Kenya's 3-0 defeat to Ivory Coast in the final Group F match on Tuesday night, McCarthy admitted that Harambee Stars are not in the same level with African champions Ivory Coast.

"You look at the quality of players Ivory Coast have - all internationals playing for top European clubs - while in Kenya, we have a young team that is learning," McCarthy said.

Kenya's loss saw them end the campaign in fourth place with 12 points, behind Gambia (13), Gabon (25), and Group F winners Ivory Coast (26).

Burundi and Seychelles finished fifth and sixth respectively. Only the group winners earned direct tickets to the 2026 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

"The objective was to go out there and make it complicated for them because we are a professional national team. We did not come here to lose, but credit to Ivory Coast - they were the better team. It was a fantastic learning experience for us, and I think in two years' time, we will be better prepared to compete at this level," said McCarthy.

The result means Kenya will once again watch the world's biggest football event from the sidelines.

The country's World Cup dream remains elusive, continuing a long history of near misses and heartbreaks.

Kenya's campaign began under Turkish coach Engin Firat in November 2023 with a 2-1 away loss to Gabon. They bounced back with a convincing 5-0 win over Seychelles but soon stumbled, drawing 1-1 with Burundi and 0-0 with Ivory Coast in June 2024. The results left Stars in a difficult position as qualification hopes began to fade.

In March this year, Benni McCarthy took charge, bringing renewed optimism and fresh energy. His debut ended in a thrilling 3-3 draw away to Gambia, showing glimpses of the attacking potential within the squad.

But consistency proved elusive. Kenya lost 2-1 to Gabon at Nyayo Stadium and later fell 3-1 to Gambia, results that all but ended their qualification dream.

Late wins over Burundi (1-0) and Seychelles (5-0) gave fans something to cheer about, but by then, the damage was done. The final defeat to Ivory Coast only confirmed the gulf between Kenya and Africa's elite football nations.

For McCarthy, the mission now is clear - to rebuild for the future.

"This team has spirit and potential," he said. "The focus now is to prepare a competitive side for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations. Kenya has the talent, and if we keep improving, we will get there."

Kenya's struggles in the qualifiers were not unique. In the 2022 campaign, they finished third in their group behind Mali and Uganda with only one win.

The latest outcome, though disappointing, offered some bright spots - especially the emergence of young players who could form the core of the future Harambee Stars squad.

As Africa's nine representatives - Algeria, Cape Verde, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, and Tunisia - celebrate their qualification, Kenya once again goes back to the drawing board.