Kenya host Ivory Coast in the first leg of the qualifiers for the U23 AFCON 2027 on 11 November at Nyayo Stadium. Head coach Anthony Kimani wants to fix a defence that has conceded four goals in two matches.
On 11 November, Kenya’s Emerging Stars host Ivory Coast at Nyayo Stadium in the first leg of the second round of the qualifiers for the U23 AFCON 2027, before the return leg scheduled in Abidjan on 17 November. A double-header that opens with a defensive rebuilding job, as Anthony Kimani, the head coach, acknowledged in the columns of The Star (Kenya).
The coach points to a clear statistic: four goals conceded in the two first-round matches against Tanzania. “Conceding four goals in two matches is one aspect of our game that we have to fix, and fix very, very quickly,” he warned. A warning that carries all the more weight given that the Ivorian opponents promise to be of a different calibre to those faced in the previous round.
A first round won but fragile
Kenya qualified from the first round by beating Tanzania 5-4 on aggregate. The first leg, at home, had ended in a 4-1 win. But the return leg in Dar es Salaam painted a different picture: a 3-1 defeat, which added three more goals conceded.
The head coach warned that the Ivorians will probably pose a tougher challenge than Tanzania, which makes the defensive rebuilding job all the more urgent.
Seven days, too short a window
The calendar does not make the staff’s task any easier. The FIFA window leaves only about seven days to prepare the team, a timeframe Kimani considers insufficient. “The most unfortunate thing is that in a small FIFA window, we only have about seven days to make sure everyone understands what we are trying to do as a team. That is not enough time,” he told The Star.
The coach believes that time spent together is decisive: “With more time together, the players will understand their roles better and will be able to execute our plans more effectively,” he added.
Kibet back, new faces and returning players
The provisional squad features several changes. Aldrine Kibet returns after missing the matches against Tanzania because of work permit issues in Spain. Humphrey Aroko and Jackson Imbiakha are recalled after injuries, while Jack Steel, Emmanuel Osoro, Javan Ochieng and Colin Akeno come into the squad. Mark Kithome and Glen Githinji also feature in this provisional list.
The first leg is scheduled for 11 November 2026 at Nyayo Stadium, with the return leg on 17 November 2026 in Abidjan.