McCarthy targets Harambee Stars win against Estonia to erase Senegal demons

This will be the first match between the two sides and also the first match for Kenya against European opposition since 2023 when they played Russia offering a rare test against a different style of play.

This is also the first outing for Harambee Stars since an embarrassing 8-0 humiliation by African champions Senegal last November.

The FIFA Series 2026 is designed to bring together teams with a wide range of competitive profiles, from established international sides to emerging nations, thereby reinforcing FIFA’s commitment to inclusive and sustainable global football development.

Speaking after a training session on Thursday, the Champions League winner highlighted the squad’s balance, blending domestic talent with players based abroad, and expressing optimism that this combination and his tactical setup will deliver a positive outcome.

“We are playing against Estonia and to me I feel it’s a nice opportunity for us to reclaim our focus and forget the mixed results we have registered in past including 8-0 humiliation from Senegal in November last year. It’s also an opportunity for me to gauge the players’ strength ahead of the Afcon tournament next year.

“I want to build a strong Afcon team, which means getting players of Kenyan heritage who play in strong leagues.”

Kenya heads into the match ranked 113th in the world, as Estonia, is placed 128th.

In his part, Stars forward Ryan Ogam backed head coach sentiments saying they can shock the world today as the warned his colleagues not to take chances.

“We’ve analyzed them carefully, and one thing stands out: they don’t force situations. They are comfortable sitting in their structure, waiting for you to make mistakes. So if we are careless, even for a moment, we can be punished,”

Estonia heads to the match after participating in the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers and finished fourth in their group won by Norway which in inspired by Manchester City forward Erling Braut Halaand.

Coach McCarthy will have to choose who start in goal posts between Faruk Shikhalo, Brian Bwire, and Ian Otieno, while the defence will rely on players such as Daniel Sakari, Rooney Onyango, and Abud Omar.

The midfield department will be led by Duke Abuya and Alpha Onyango as well as Odada.

After Estonia task, Kenya will tackle either Rwanda or Grenada in their second FIFA Series match.