Kenya’s Harambee Stars will face Rwanda in an international friendly at Amahoro Stadium on Monday, October 5, giving coach Benni McCarthy another opportunity to assess his squad and rebuild confidence after a difficult start to their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.
The match will be Kenya’s third assignment in nine days and comes as the team looks to improve following a draw against Eritrea and a defeat to Guinea in their opening AFCON qualifying matches. The friendly therefore provides the technical bench with valuable competitive preparation ahead of the next stage of the continental campaign.
Rwanda enter the encounter with considerably stronger recent momentum. The Amavubi have won their opening two AFCON qualifying matches, defeating Cape Verde 2-1 away before beating Liberia 3-1 at home. Those results have placed Rwanda at the top of their qualifying Group K with six points from two matches.
The victory over Cape Verde was particularly significant for Rwanda because it also improved their position in the FIFA rankings. The result earned them 18.15 ranking points and could see them rise several places in the next rankings update.
For Kenya, the match provides McCarthy with an opportunity to examine his options, test different combinations and give players valuable international minutes. The coach will also be looking for improvements in areas that have been exposed during the opening AFCON qualifying fixtures.
The fixture was added to Kenya’s schedule during the current international window, giving Harambee Stars an additional match against a regional opponent before they return to competitive AFCON action.
The match also carries regional significance because Kenya and Rwanda are neighbours with a long history of football encounters. While the fixture is officially a friendly, both technical benches can use it to evaluate players and tactical approaches.
For Harambee Stars, the immediate objective will be to produce a stronger performance and restore confidence. For Rwanda, the match offers another chance to maintain their positive momentum while giving their coaching staff an opportunity to assess the squad before the next competitive fixtures.
The match is scheduled to take place at Amahoro Stadium in Kigali on Monday, October 5.
