Under the South African legend, Harambee Stars made history CHAN in their debut campaign, reaching the quarter-finals in their inaugural campaign. Kenya announced its arrival on the CHAN stage with a 1-0 victory over two-time CHAN champions DR Congo in the opening Group A match.
In the second game, they secured a 1-1 draw against Angola despite playing with 10 men, and recovered to beat another two-time CHAN champion Morocco by a similar margin and after playing with 10 men.
Though already qualified, Kenya wanted more. Facing Zambia in the final group game, Kenya needed a win to cement top spot in the group, and they did it in style after edging out Zambia 1-0.
However, their unbeaten journey came to an end after losing 4-3 on penalties following a 1-1 draw in normal and extra-time.
Kenya have a good coach in McCarthy
According to Wanyama, who became the first-ever Kenyan player to score in the UEFA Champions League when he scored the first goal in Celtic's 2-1 win over Barcelona in 2012, the former Bafana Bafana striker can help Kenya players reach great heights if given the support required.
“We have a good coach in Benni. We need to support him. We are trying to get back to where we belong,” said Wanyama. “We need to support him (Benni), we need to support the national team, we need to support football in this country, and we will see our country grow as one of the biggest footballing countries on the continent.
“Honestly speaking, I can see we are trying to get back to where we belong.”
Asked to review Kenya’s overall performance at the CHAN, Wanyama, who played for Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League, said: “It is a great feeling to represent the country at the highest stage and to show what we have in terms of football talent.
“It is every young footballer’s dream to reach those levels and I know after this tournament they will be burning inside to do this again.”
Wanyama added: “The tournament has been really great with the way CAF has organised everything from the teams to the supporters. There has been an electric atmosphere in Nairobi with full stadiums and so many fans flocking in to watch football. This is a great moment for us and it shows that there will be bigger things to come in 2027 when the AFCON comes here.”
Kenya will shift focus to the next challenge: the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Harambee Stars will host the Gambia on September 5th, and Seychelles on September 9th, both matches at Kasarani Stadium. The Stars will look to build on their CHAN momentum as they continue chasing even bigger dreams.
Harambee Stars are currently sitting fourth in Group F with six points from six matches. They have managed one win, three draws and two defeats. Ivory Coast are topping the pile with 16 points, while second-placed have amassed 15 points, and third-placed Burundi have 10 points.
