- Harambee Stars fire warning to Ivory Coast ahead of last game on Tuesday.
- Ivory Coast top the table on 23 points but need a win against Kenya.
- Gabon are second on 22 points ahead of their match agaist Burundi.
Harambee Stars assistant coach Vasili Manouakis has weighed in on the difficulty of the final FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifying match against Ivory Coast set for Tuesday night at the Stade Olympique Alassane Outtara in Abidjan.
Kenya face the Elephants in a do-or-die match where the hosts need to win to qualify for the World Cup. With only a point separating them from second-placed Gabon, the African champions must secure three points to secure the automatic top spot.
However, for the Harambee Stars, the match is not about doing anyone a favour as they build a new, non-negotiable culture of winning, a philosophy that Manouakis insists will drive their approach against the continental giants.
Harambee Stars fire warning to Ivory Coast
Speaking ahead of the crucial encounter, Manouakis laid bare the team’s bold ambition to defeat Ivory Coast as they seek to secure a respectable third place finish in the group, as they continue building a new identity for Kenyan football.
“Anytime the national team takes on the pitch, the intention is always to win. We have to go out and create that winning culture,” he said.
The Harambee Stars are buoyed by a streak of positive results, which includes two successive wins and two clean sheets against Seychelles and Burundi but for Manouakis, the task ahead is a challenging one.
“Now it’s two wins back to back on the road and two clean sheets. We know the quality within the Ivory Coast squad, we know that the task is tough but we believe in ourselves,” he said.
The assistant coach has ruled out any plan to sit back and defend against the Ivorian attack, a strategy he views as suicidal for the full 90 minutes.
“The mindset is to approach the game in the same manner and play on the front foot and try to go for the win. I think every team knows if you try to sit back and defend 90 minutes against Ivory Coast is going to be a very difficult task and a very long match, we don’t intend to do that.”
In the reverse meeting with the group leaders, the match ended in a 0-0 draw in Malawi.
The stage is now set for an interesting finish as Gabon, currently in 2nd place, will play their final match against Burundi on Tuesday.
Gabon will need Kenya to win or draw with the Ivory Coast in order for them to stand any chance of qualifying for the FIFA World Cup 2026.
