Kenyan football fans are facing a nerve-wracking wait as the national team, Harambee Stars, enters a crucial stage in their quest to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
With only two matches remaining in the Group J qualifiers, Kenya finds itself in a precarious position, needing a combination of victories and a significant goal difference swing to secure qualification.
Currently, Kenya sits precariously in third place with just four points from four matches. Cameroon leads the group with a seemingly insurmountable 10 points and a healthy goal difference of +5.
Zimbabwe, Kenya’s next opponent, occupies second place with eight points and a +3 goal difference. Namibia is already out of contention, having lost all their matches.
For Kenya to qualify automatically, they must win their remaining fixtures – a crucial away match against Zimbabwe and a home game against Namibia. However, even winning both may not be enough.
The biggest obstacle Kenya faces is goal difference. Their current deficit of -3 pales in comparison to Zimbabwe’s +3.
Even if both teams finish the group stage with the same number of points, Zimbabwe would qualify on the basis of their superior goal difference.
To overcome this hurdle, Kenya not only needs to win their remaining games but win convincingly, especially against Namibia.
This means scoring multiple goals and keeping clean sheets, while hoping that Zimbabwe doesn’t win their final match by a large margin.
The upcoming international break will see intense focus on both the games themselves and the complex calculations that could determine Kenya’s fate.
