The France-based defender has described what he feels about Kenya’s chances of making it to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and 2026 World Cup given their recent results.
Harambee Stars defender Joseph Okumu believes Kenya are capable of making it to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and 2026 World Cup.
Kenya have had a topsy-turvy start to their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign, losing 2-1 away to Gabon before thrashing Seychelles 5-0 last November, to leave them on three points in a Group F that also has African champions Ivory Coast, The Gambia and Burundi.
The Ivorians, same as Gabon, have maximum six points from the group ahead of their meeting with Kenya in June when Harambee Stars will also face Burundi and a loss will leave Engin Firat’s men in a delicate position.
Firat has insisted Kenya should try and qualify for the 2025 AFCON as they build a team towards the 2017 tournament, which they will co-host with neighbours Tanzania and Uganda, but Okumu feels the country has slept for far too long and should be making it regularly to the continental event.
“I think it is big for us to make it to the next tournament,” Okumu told BBC Africa Sports.
“We’ve been undermined for so long. I think we have the capability, and we have the quality to be appearing in the Africa Cup of Nations regularly.”
The Stade de Reims defender also feels Kenya should be aiming higher given they have never made it to the World Cup since such tournaments serves an opportunity to expose the players globally.
“It will be a dream come true (to reach the World Cup), not even for us only as the players but as a nation,” added Okumu.
“We have not featured so many times during the Africa Cup of Nations, but it will be an interesting thing to see the country participate in the World Cup as well. It will be something important.”
Kenya have been to the AFCON six times (1972, 1988, 1990, 1992, 2004 and 2019) but have never gone past the group stages while World Cup qualification has proved difficult to date.
Harambee Stars did not feature in the qualifiers for the AFCON 2023 due to a nine-month FIFA ban handed to the country in 2022 over government interference and will need to be at their best when the qualifiers for the 2025 tournament in Morocco begins.
