Kenya's national football team, Harambee Stars, has boycotted training for their upcoming 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers Group "D" opening match against Eritrea. The team reported to camp on Tuesday in Nairobi but declined to train, demanding allowances and better treatment when they are in the national team. The match is scheduled for Saturday at Nyayo Stadium. This development has raised concerns about the team's preparedness for the crucial qualifier.
Football Kenya Federation Head of Projects and National Teams, Athanus Obango, stated that players are demanding an Sh80,000 allowance per player for the Senegal and Lesotho games. According to Obango, the responsibility of paying the allowances lies with the government, not FKF. He expressed hope that the issue will be resolved soon. The players' demands have been ongoing, with some players who were not even called up for the Lesotho and Senegal games joining the strike in solidarity with their colleagues.
A player, who wished to remain anonymous, revealed that some players are being pushed by outsiders to paralyze the national team in their fight against FKF leadership. The player emphasized that only a few of those in the current squad played the two matches against Lesotho and Senegal, and they have a right to get their allowances. The player's comments suggest that there may be external factors influencing the players' decision to go on strike.
Harambee Stars have had a mixed record in recent friendly matches. They drew 1-1 and lost 4-1 to Lesotho in back-to-back friendly international matches on June 4 and June 27 this year. On November 8, 2025, they were thrashed 8-0 by Senegal in another friendly match. These results may have added pressure on the team to perform well in the upcoming qualifier against Eritrea.
Harambee Stars coach, Benni McCarthy, is expected to hold a press conference later on Wednesday to address the players' strike. McCarthy had named a 24-man squad composed mainly of foreign-based players for the game against Eritrea. The team's performance in the qualifiers is crucial, as Kenya is co-hosting the 2027 finals and is guaranteed a spot, but still needs to maintain their match fitness.
Eritrea arrived in the country on Tuesday and have been training at Police Sacco stadium. The other nations in Group "D" are Guinea and South Africa. After the match against Eritrea, Harambee Stars will play Guinea on October 1 in Conakry. The team's results in the qualifiers will be closely watched, given their guaranteed spot in the 2027 finals.
This is not the first time Harambee Stars players have gone on strike over allowances. In 2005, the team went on strike over allowance payments and refused to board their flight to Kigali for the Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup. The allowance issue was resolved, but the team ended up being kicked out of the tournament after arriving late. The current strike highlights the ongoing challenges faced by the team in terms of player welfare and compensation.
Key points
- Harambee Stars players boycott training over unpaid allowances ahead of 2027 Afcon qualifier against Eritrea
- The team's coach, Benni McCarthy, is expected to hold a press conference to address the players' strike
- This is not the first time Harambee Stars players have gone on strike over allowances, with a similar incident occurring in 2005
