Kenya vs Gabon

Kenya continue their pursuit of a 2026 World Cup berth as they host Gabon at Nyayo National Stadium for their sixth qualifying match on Sunday.

The Harambee Stars enter this fixture with renewed confidence after a thrilling 3-3 comeback draw against Gambia in Ivory Coast on Thursday night—a result that keeps their qualification hopes alive.

In a dramatic second half in Abidjan, Kenya clawed their way back from a two-goal deficit thanks to goals from Michael Olunga in the 69th minute and Mohammed Bajaber six minutes later. Despite briefly falling behind again, William Wilson salvaged a crucial point with the final kick of the game.

This hard-fought draw places Kenya fourth in Group F with six points from one win, three draws, and a loss. They trail group leaders Gabon by six points and are four points behind second-placed Ivory Coast, who still have a game in hand ahead of their Friday night fixture against Burundi.

Benni McCarthy, who took charge of Kenya for the first time against Gambia, remains optimistic about his team’s chances, emphasizing that the group remains wide open despite the top contenders making early strides.

As the qualifiers reach the halfway mark, the Harambee Stars must secure a victory in Nairobi to keep their World Cup dream alive. This match marks their first competitive home fixture in four years, with the recently reopened Nyayo National Stadium set to provide the support of passionate home fans.

However, Kenya’s recent competitive form is concerning, as they are winless in their last seven games, suffering three defeats and drawing their last four outings.

On the other hand, Gabon have strengthened their position at the top of the table with a dominant 3-0 victory over Seychelles, their first clean sheet of the qualifiers. With four wins and just one loss, the Panthers have accumulated 12 points, sitting two points clear at the summit—at least until Ivory Coast’s match against Burundi.

With the exception of their 1-0 loss to Ivory Coast, Thierry Mouyouma's team has been a thrilling force this season, hitting at least two goals in four of their five games and scoring 10 goals while giving up five.

Gabon will now take on a Kenyan team that has scored ten goals as well but has suffered defensively, giving up six goals. This might lead to another high-scoring match, but the visitors must tighten up at the back to keep from being exposed.

As they want to bolster their World Cup bid, the Panthers will be confident going into this match, motivated by their 2-1 triumph in the rematch, which was their only prior meeting.