2026 World Cup Qualifier: 10 things Benni McCarthy's Harambee Stars must do to beat the Scorpions

will resume their quest to qualify for the 2026 World Cup with an away tie to The Gambia on Thursday March 20, 2025 with the match being played in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.

New coach will put his wits against Johnathan McKinstry, a man who knows the Kenyan team so well, having been Gor Mahia coach for two years between 2022 and 2024.

Kenya have their backs against the wall as they head into Matchday 5 with five points from four games, with Ivory Coast (10 points), Gabon (nine points) and Burundi (seven points) ahead of them.

Okumu, who featured for Stade Reims on Sunday and played the full match, is notably absent from the 23-man travelling squad for their FIFA World Cup qualifier against Gambia.

McCarthy has promised to do all he can to deliver Kenya to the World Cup and to do that, he will need to start with a win against the Gambia, who are one of the lesser opponents in Group F.

2026 World Cup Qualifier: X Things Benni McCarthy’s Harambee Stars Must Do To Beat The Scorpions

Get selections spot on

will have to ensure that he selects a well-balanced team that will be able to execute his plan well.

Former coach Engin Firat preferred a more defensive approach, aimed at nullifying the threat of the opponent, but it left them with little going forward and this is something that must change under the new tactician.

McCarthy is wedded to attacking football and this will have to be reflected in his starting XI on Thursday.

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It has changed hands in recent years with Brye Odhiambo and Patrick Matasi alternating during Firat’s time and now those two are not in the team with Ian Otieno, Faruk Shikalo and Brian Bwire the three options in goal.

Kenya need a goalkeeper who brings calmness at the back and one that is not afraid to come for crosses besides shot-stopping and in modern-day football, playing from the back has become essential.

Score goals

Engin Firat’s Harambee Stars did not find the back of the net regularly and this was largely down to how he set them up to play.

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McCarthy’s team need to play with freedom and score goals as without it, their dream will end as quickly as it started.

There is enough talent in the team to score but McCarthy has to find a way to create chances.

Quick start

Harambee Stars must ensure they start quickly which will give them an opportunity to settle and get out any nervousness that might exist.

An early goal will set the tone for a crucial away win which is badly needed at this juncture.

Play through the lines

One area that Harambee Stars have struggled in is creating chances from a good build-up with most of their goals coming either via counter attacks or from set-pieces.

It is still early days for the coach to put his philosophy on the team but they will need to start playing through the lines as it is the only way they will open up teams that sit back like The Gambia are likely to do.

This will depend on whom he selects but there are some clever playmakers with an eye for a killer pass like Duke Abuya, Mohammed Bajaber and even Eric Johana who could help with this.

Pace on the wings

While there is a need to play through the lines, Kenya cannot abandon entirely what has been working for them and that is hitting opponents on the break.

That requires pace on the wings but what needs to change is having specialised full-backs in their positions and wingers on the flank.

It would allow Harambee Stars to harness the full potential of their full-backs and wingers, offering them an attacking threat in wide areas which will be crucial to breaking down the Scorpions.

Get Olunga more involved

Harambee Stars captain Michael Olunga has cut a lonely figure upfront in a number of matches as the more defensive approach meant he was not involved so much in the action.

Olunga is the one who makes the difference most of the time and he cannot feed off scraps if Kenya are to beat The Gambia.

Chances have to be created in plenty for him and he has shown on numerous occasions that he has the quality to finish them off whether in the air or on the ground.

Take set-pieces seriously

Kenya have also not been taking good corners or freekicks yet it is an area that can yield goals especially when the game is tight.

With the height they have, Harambee Stars can get a goal or two from set-pieces but that can only happen with good deliveries.

On the other side, Harambee Stars also have to be watchful and make sure they defend the same well as it could be what gets McKinstry’s men a win.

Learn to protect the lead

Harambee Stars’ inability to hold onto leads has proved costly and in these World Cup qualifiers, it has happened twice.

They scored first against Gabon before losing 2-1 and did the same against Burundi only to draw 1-1 in the final minutes. Those are five points dropped from winning positions which would have them joint top of the table by now.

This cannot be overemphasised more.

Get substitutions right

Benni McCarthy also needs to know who to bring on and at what moment of the game even if he is still new to the players.

His bench will play a large part in the outcome of the game as the substitutes can be crucial in either scoring the winning goal or protecting the lead.