Kenya — Eritrea

Group D pairs Kenya with Eritrea over two legs.

FIFA ranking: #109 · AFCON titles: 0

Head coach: Benni McCarthy

FIFA ranking: #184 · AFCON titles: 0

Head coach: Hesham Yakan

The ranking separates them by 75 places: Kenya at 109, Eritrea at 184.

Previous meetings

Eritrea lead the head-to-head, 1 wins to 0 from 1 meetings, with 0 drawn.

Meetings1
Kenya0
Eritrea1
Draws0

Last meeting: December 17, 2019, Kenya 1–4 Eritrea (CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup).

Source: API-Football

Both legs

Matchday Home Away Match window Kick-off
1 Kenya Eritrea September 21 – October 6, 2026 to be confirmed
5 Eritrea Kenya March 22 – March 30, 2027 to be confirmed

Kick-off times are shown as to be confirmed because CAF has published windows, not individual dates.

Where these teams are shown

CountryWhere to watchStatus
KenyaKBC Channel 1Free to air Rights confirmed for 2027
KenyaAzam TVSubscription Held rights for the 2025 edition

The rights column states which edition each broadcaster is confirmed for, not which one it is assumed to carry.

The group context

Both sides play six qualifiers in Group D. How many go through has not been announced.

Group D →

Common questions

When do Kenya and Eritrea play?
Two matches, on matchdays 1 and 5, inside the September 21 – October 6, 2026 and March 22 – March 30, 2027 windows. CAF has published the pairings and the windows but not the dates or kick-off times: those are agreed federation by federation a few weeks before each window. We show them as to be confirmed rather than invent them.
What is the head-to-head record between Kenya and Eritrea?
They have met 1 time(s) in the records we hold. Eritrea lead 1–0 with 0 drawn, the last on December 17, 2019. Those meetings came in earlier qualifying campaigns and friendlies, not in this cycle, so they carry no weight in the group table.
Which side is stronger on paper?
Kenya is the higher-ranked side, at #109 against #184 — a gap of 75 places on the FIFA list published on July 20, 2026. Over six qualifying matches that gap matters less than it looks: home advantage, travel and squad availability during international windows decide more African qualifiers than ranking does.
Where can I watch Kenya vs Eritrea?
Broadcasters listed for both countries are shown above, each labelled with the edition it is confirmed for. Rights to the 2027 finals are still almost entirely unsold, so a channel marked for the qualifiers or for 2025 tells you nothing about 2027. We label rather than assume.