Kenya begin their campaign to qualify for the 2027 CAF Africa Cup of Nations against Eritrea at Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi on Saturday.
Kick-off is scheduled for 13:00 GMT on 26 September 2026, with Kenya starting the qualifying process on home soil against a side returning to the international game with renewed confidence.
The hosts come into the fixture after a convincing 4-0 victory over Lesotho. That result followed a 1-1 draw with the same southern African opponents in June, giving Kenya an unbeaten record across their four matches so far in the calendar year.
That run also includes a draw against Estonia and a win over Grenada in March. Kenya will hope their recent form, together with home advantage in the capital, can help them make a strong start to the qualifying campaign.
Eritrea’s return to competitive football has followed a more difficult period. The team withdrew from the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers, but came back into action earlier this year and have since claimed several victories.
Their most recent success came in the preliminary round of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations qualifying competition, where they defeated Eswatini 4-1 on aggregate across the two legs.
That result gives Eritrea a platform on which to build as they face a considerably tougher test in Nairobi. Their progress against Eswatini is likely to provide belief, while also demonstrating that Kenya cannot afford to underestimate them.
Eritrea are expected to make the contest competitive and could prove difficult to break down. However, Kenya remain the favourites to win the match, particularly with the opening fixture taking place in their own capital.