Benni McCarthy Admits Kenya’s Diminishing World Cup Hopes But Remains Hopeful for Last-Minute Qualification

Benni McCarthy, the Bafana Bafana legend and current head coach of Kenya’s national team, has admitted that the Harambee Stars’ chances of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup are slipping after a 2-1 defeat to Gabon. Despite this setback, McCarthy remains hopeful that Kenya can still secure a spot in the next round of qualifiers.

Kenya hosted Gabon at Nyayo National Stadium on Sunday, where former Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored a brace to hand the visitors a vital victory. The loss left McCarthy’s side in fourth place in Group F, now trailing the group leaders by nine points. This defeat, combined with a 3-3 draw against Gambia in McCarthy’s first match in charge, has put Kenya’s World Cup hopes in jeopardy.

“It was super-important for us to keep our hopes, that dream alive that we can qualify,” McCarthy said in his post-match comments. “Unfortunately, yes, the opportunity of qualifying has become even more difficult. But like I said, there are still five more matches to play, and from now until the end, you want to try and win every game.”

McCarthy, however, remained optimistic, adding, “It’s positive, I’m not disappointed after 90 minutes or so. We want to continue and win matches, and you never know. Maybe mathematically somewhere there might be a glimmer of hope that we can [qualify].” He highlighted that, if Kenya can win all their remaining matches, they might still find themselves in a position to qualify, even if only through a last-minute calculation.

Kenya’s remaining fixtures are crucial. They will host Gambia and Seychelles in September before visiting Burundi and Ivory Coast in October. McCarthy and his team have 12 points left to play for, but with the team’s current form, securing all the points will be a tough challenge.

Looking ahead, McCarthy will also focus on helping Kenya perform well at the upcoming African Nations Championship, where they will co-host the tournament with Uganda and Tanzania in August. The team will face tough opponents in Group A, including Morocco, Angola, Zambia, and DR Congo.

While the road to the 2026 World Cup remains a challenging one for McCarthy and the Harambee Stars, the coach continues to believe that there is still a chance to turn things around and achieve qualification.