Harambee Stars head coach Benni McCarthy is set to give new faces an opportunity when Kenya take on Rwanda in an international friendly at Amahoro Stadium in Kigali on Monday evening.
The match, scheduled for 7pm EAT, comes after Kenya’s difficult start to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign, where they drew 1-1 with Eritrea before losing 1-0 to Guinea.
McCarthy sees the Rwanda clash as an opportunity to assess his squad depth and give younger players a chance to stake their claim for places in the team.
“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,” McCarthy said.
The South African coach is expected to use the match to test different combinations as he continues building a squad for the 2027 AFCON finals, which Kenya will co-host with Uganda and Tanzania.
Although Kenya have already secured automatic qualification as co-hosts, McCarthy has insisted that his players must continue competing for places and preparing at the highest level.
“Whether it’s a friendly match, AFCON qualifiers, World Cup qualifiers, it is all the same,” McCarthy said.
He added that the new players will have to show what they can offer when given the chance to wear the national team shirt.
“For me, 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.”
The Rwanda test will, however, come against an Amavubi side enjoying a strong run of results.
Rwanda opened their AFCON qualifying campaign with a 3-1 home victory over Liberia before securing a 2-1 away win against Cape Verde. The results have left them top of Group K with six points from two matches.
McCarthy acknowledged that Rwanda will provide a serious test for his developing side.
“Rwanda is a good test for us. They have had a good campaign, and we are excited to face them,” he said.
Kenya will also be looking to improve their attacking play after failing to score in the defeat to Guinea. McCarthy has previously called for more movement off the ball and better use of possession as the team looks to create more chances.
The Rwanda match therefore gives several players an opportunity to change the coach’s thinking ahead of Kenya’s next competitive assignment.
McCarthy said the team will use the friendly to establish the level they need to reach before facing South Africa in their next AFCON qualifying fixtures.
“We will get to know the level we have to raise ourselves to,” he said.
For the new players in the squad, Monday’s match could therefore be more than just another friendly, with performances in Kigali potentially influencing the competition for places in McCarthy’s Harambee Stars squad.
