Harambee Stars Face Tough Questions as 2027 AFCON Countdown Begins: 'We Need to Be Realistic'

As the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco heads towards its climax, the football world is already looking ahead to 2027, when Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania will co-host the tournament.

The successful hosting of last year's African Nations Championship (CHAN) by the three nations has fueled optimism that the region is prepared to stage a memorable AFCON. Fans are hopeful that the host teams can surpass their quarter-final finishes from the CHAN tournament.

However, former AFC Leopards head coach Gilbert Selebwa has cautioned Kenyan supporters to manage their expectations.

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He warns that without addressing deep-rooted problems, Harambee Stars could face significant challenges at the 2027 event.

The veteran tactician highlighted the disparity in quality evident at the current AFCON, suggesting a considerable gap between East African football and the continent's top teams.

"With what we are seeing at this AFCON, we need to be realistic," Selebwa stated in an interview with Mozzart Sport. "The competition is extremely high, and honestly, as things stand, Kenya will struggle."

Selebwa attributes this gap to the superior exposure of players from West and North Africa compared to their East African counterparts.

"The difference between them and us is very clear; most of the North and West African players are playing in top leagues in Europe," he explained.

"They are not in funny leagues. They are playing in well-established competitions, and that exposure shows when they come to national team duty."

According to Selebwa, the strength of a nation's domestic league and the presence of its players in elite foreign leagues are direct indicators of international performance, a trend he says has been clear throughout the tournament in Morocco.

"League quality always reflects on performance. That is why when teams like Nigeria, Cameroon, and Egypt play, you see a different level of football. Their players are exposed to top-level competition week in, week out," he added.

The early exits of several teams at the current AFCON, including Botswana, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Comoros, and Angola, seem to support Selebwa's point. Many of these squads had limited or no players competing in major European leagues.

Beyond player development, Selebwa identified inadequate infrastructure as another critical hurdle for Kenya to overcome before 2027.

"When you look at North African countries like Morocco, they have many standard pitches spread across the country," he noted. "If you want to play good football, you must invest in infrastructure. Do we have that level of infrastructure in Kenya? Not yet."

He voiced concern over Kenya's reliance on a few major stadiums like Kasarani and Nyayo, whose pitches are often degraded by non-sporting events.

"In Kenya, we are trying, but we are not yet at the required standard," Selebwa continued. "You find players training on poor surfaces, and even when fields like Kasarani or Nyayo are improved for tournaments, they are quickly affected because they host other national events that could be held elsewhere.”

Selebwa concluded with a stark warning: unless Kenya undertakes serious structural and developmental reforms, the national team will find it difficult to compete against Africa's elite when the continent's focus shifts to East Africa in three years.

"From what I am seeing at this AFCON in Morocco, I do not think we are serious enough yet to compete at that level," he said.