Kenya will begin their quest to qualify for a seventh Africa Cup of Nations tournament when they welcome Zimbabwe to the Mandela National Stadium on Friday.
Both teams have had an extra two days of rest after their meeting—initially scheduled to be played on Wednesday—was postponed by a further 48 hours.
Match preview
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Kenya were denied an opportunity to add to their six AFCON appearances, having been banned by FIFA from taking part in the last qualifying campaign due to 'governmental interference' in footballing matters.
As a result, Engin Firat's men still await their first outing on the continental scene since the 2019 edition, which ended in yet another group-stage exit in Egypt—a sixth on the bounce for Kenya.
The Harambee Stars have been drawn in Group J of the AFCON qualifiers, where they will battle it out with Namibia, Cameroon and Zimbabwe for two spots at next year's showpiece in Morocco.
A positive start to proceedings would certainly be a welcome boost for Kenya, whose record against Zimbabwe makes for good reading with three wins and a draw from four previous meetings between the teams.
Friday's hosts are also without defeat in six of their last seven matches across all competitions and now set out to win consecutive matches for the second time since the turn of the year.
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Like Kenya, Zimbabwe were also banned by FIFA from taking part in the last AFCON qualifying campaign, denying them a shot at a fourth straight continental campaign after three consecutive group-stage exits.
Off the back of ending 2023 with three draws on the bounce, the Warriors have blown hot and cold since the turn of the year having won three and lost four of their seven outings so far.
Two of those four defeats have come at the hands of Kenya, who first beat Michael Nees's men 3-1 in March's friendly encounter before claiming a 2-0 triumph in the COSAFA Cup four months later.
Nees will be hoping that third time is the charm for his side against their East African counterparts as they look to kick off their AFCON qualifiers on a high amid what has been a disappointing World Cup qualifying journey so far.
Heading into Friday's affair, the away side are yet to win any of their World Cup qualifying matches and are already five points off the pace in Group C after just four rounds of matches.
Team News
Kenya's Michael Olunga is doubtful for this one despite being included in the squad as he continues to battle with an injury that has seen him fail to feature since early August.
Olunga's potential unavailability is certainly a big blow for the home side, who saw their skipper net a hat-trick against Friday's opponents back in January.
Meanwhile, Collins Sichenje and Ian Otieno are both guaranteed absentees for this one as the pair sustained respective injuries during a training session.
Brendan Galloway has pulled out of the Zimbabwe camp and will not be able to add to his two caps after recently picking up a hamstring injury.
Star attacker Khama Billiat is back in contention for the away side, having sensationally announced his return to the international scene after a three-year absence due to retirement.
Kenya possible starting lineup:
Matasi; Omar, Omurwa, Omija, Okumu; Muguna, Akumu, Odada; Avire, Ayunga, Omune
Zimbabwe possible starting lineup:
Arubi; Hadebe, Murwira, Takwara, Mbeba; Munetsi, Rinomhota, Hachiro, Chirewa; Kadewere, Mapfumo
We say: Kenya 1-0 Zimbabwe
Kenya's dominance in this fixture will give them a bit of a psychological edge and coupled with the added advantage of playing in front of their fans, we are backing them to carry the day, albeit by only a narrow margin.
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Adepoju Marvellous
