Rwanda vs Kenya: Harambee Stars face stern Amavubi friendly test in Kigali

• Rwanda vs Kenya will be an international friendly match played on Monday, October 5, 2026.
• The match will be played at Amahoro Stadium from 7pm EAT.
• Rwanda won two of their AFCON qualifiers, while Kenya drew one and lost one heading into this clash.

Harambee Stars will aim to wrap up the three-week international break on a high note when they face Rwanda in a friendly match on Monday, October 5, at Amahoro Stadium in Kigali from 7pm EAT.

Kenya has played two matches so far during this break in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, winning none of the games, and will therefore be looking to bounce back effectively for some consolation.

Kenya has automatically qualified for the AFCON 2027 as the co-hosts, but they are still taking part in the qualifiers as a formality and in line with CAF rules.

They are placed in Group D alongside powerhouse South Africa, minnows Eritrea and Guinea.

They played their first match at home against Eritrea in late September, where they were held to a 1-1 draw at Nyayo Stadium. They then travelled to Stade du 28 Septembre in Conakry, where they fell 1-0 to Guinea.

ALSO READ: Guinea vs Kenya : Harambee Stars’ AFCON 2027Q campaign takes another blow after Syli National defeat

And after those disappointing outings, Benni McCarthy believes this match will be a better opportunity to assess his squad depth while also giving the youngsters a chance to prove themselves.

“We had a training session yesterday, and it was okay. The training pitch was still in good condition. So that is a plus. And yeah, we’re looking forward to this friendly match. It’s a good opportunity to give a lot of young players who have come into the team,” Benni McCarthy said.

For the hosts, they come into this fixture riding a massive wave of confidence under manager Stephen Constantine.

The Amavubi are currently on a dominant four-match winning streak, outscoring their opponents 11-2 over that stretch.

Their momentum is anchored by recent back-to-back victories in the 2027 AFCON qualifiers, where they confidently dispatched Liberia 3-1 and pulled off a gritty 2-1 away win against Cape Verde to move to the top of Group K with six points.

Both sides will be looking to give as many players as possible from their respective camps a chance to prove themselves, so we can expect different starting lineups from those fielded in the qualifiers.

“Friendly match, AFCON qualifiers, World Cup qualifiers. It is all the same. I’m looking at this as a chance for the new players to also integrate nicely and to impress, to show me the quality that they have. So when they put on Kenya’s shirt, I’m expecting them to give everything and to give me the best football that they can,” McCarthy added.

Rwanda’s last direct, open-play victory against Kenya dates all the way back to a 2-1 win in November 2000 during the CECAFA Cup group stages on home soil.

Since that victory more than 25 years ago, Kenya has managed to lock down the fixture, remaining officially unbeaten in regular time against their East African neighbours.

The two sides most recently met during the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, which saw a 1-1 stalemate in Kigali and a narrow 2-1 victory for Kenya in Nairobi.

While Kenya holds the slight psychological edge from past encounters, Rwanda’s current lethal form and home-crowd advantage make them the distinct favourites to dictate the tempo of tonight’s match.