Football Kenya Federation may be forced to find an alternative venue outside the country, as indications suggest that Nyayo Stadium may not be ready in time for Kenya’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Gabon, scheduled for Monday, March 24.
This situation comes just a week after the highly anticipated Mashemeji Derby was postponed due to the unavailability of a suitable venue.
Last month, CHAN’s Local Organizing Committee (LOC) announced that Kenya would host Gabon at Nyayo Stadium for a test match to assess the stadium’s readiness ahead of CHAN in August. However, this plan now appears to be in jeopardy, as the contractor has not yet handed over the stadium to Sports Kenya, leaving the federation in a tight spot with only 19 days left before the match.
If Nyayo Stadium is not ready in time for the Gabon match, it would be a significant setback for the new Harambee Stars coach, Benni McCarthy, who has stressed the importance of playing at home in an interview with FKF.
“It’s been five years since Kenya last played a home match, so every game played outside makes it more difficult to qualify for anything when we have to host our matches in another country. We want to help, but the federation has to do its part to ensure that the team has a home base. We should not be playing our matches in Malawi or South Africa,” said Benni McCarthy.
The South African coach is eager to lead Kenya to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but if the match against Gabon has to be played abroad, McCarthy’s ambitions may face significant challenges without the support of passionate Kenyan fans in the stands.
Kenya last hosted a competitive match on home soil in November 2021, achieving a 2-1 victory against Rwanda in a 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier at Nyayo Stadium.
