Sofapaka Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ronald Okoth believes Kenya’s Harambee Stars still stand a chance to qualify for the World Cup despite the outcome of their two matches against Burundi and Ivory Coast in Malawi.
Harambee Stars came back from Lilongwe with two points – after a 1-1 draw against the Swallows and a 0-0 outcome against the African champions the Elephants.
The outcome saw Kenya drop from third spot on the six-team table to fourth with five points while Burundi, who beat Seychelles 3-0 in their matchday four fixture, moved above them to settle at third with seven points. Ivory Coast are leading the log with 10 points while Gabon are behind them in second one point less.
But according to Okoth, who played for several clubs in the Kenyan Premier League including a stint with champions Gor Mahia, remained confident that Kenya can still make it to the global tournament if they stay focused and win their remaining matches.
“In football, we can never say never despite dropping vital points and falling down the group,” Okoth told Flashscore. “Still plenty of crucial games to work on and make amends for lost points so that Kenya can catch up. A first-ever World Cup so long as the fixtures are not over is still within reach and each game should now be played like a final.”
On whether Kenya getting a draw against the African champions was a fair a result, he said: “A draw was a very fair result, on paper Kenya were the underdog and everyone expected them to lose by a huge margin but I had a lot of confidence contrary to the public opinion.
“Kenya tends to play well against much bigger and experienced opponents and against Ivory Coast it was no different as they matched them pound to pound. Kenya superbly managed to contain the pressure from Ivory Coast and tried to hit them on a quick transition which almost bore the fruits on various occasions.”
He added: “The players showed a lot of confidence while with possession and off possession, and while building from the back, but generally our opponents were disappointed with the draw as they expected an easy win despite Kenya putting up a spirited fight.”
Kenya’s next qualifier will see them face the Gambia away on March 17th, 2025, before they host Gabon on March 24th.