Harambee Stars’ second match in the mini-tournament will depend on the outcome of the other opening fixture between Rwanda and Grenada.
The 2026 FIFA Series will be the second edition of the FIFA Series, an invitational Association football tournament promoted by FIFA that features friendly matches between national teams from different continental confederations.
Under the tournament format, the winner of Match 1 will face the winner of Match 2, while the loser of Match 1 will play the loser of Match 2. The FIFA Series presents a unique opportunity for Kenya to test themselves against opponents from different confederations.
The FIFA Series was approved by the FIFA Council in December 2022 and is fully aligned with FIFA’s Strategic Objectives for the Global Game: 2023-27.
The 2026 edition of this initiative will feature 48 national teams – representing almost a quarter of FIFA’s 211 Member Associations – competing in 12 groups of four teams each.
Speaking ahead of the fixture against Estonia, the former Manchester United assistant coach outlines why the Series is crucial for Kenya as they step up preparations for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
FIFA Series a great initiative
“It is a really great initiative from FIFA because it allows us, African countries, a unique opportunity to play against other federations, but not just other federations, but against European opposition and Caribbean opposition,” said McCarthy as quoted by SportPesa Blog.
“So, it is really great for our players to test skills and levels in terms of where we are in preparations and where we are as a country.”
McCarthy added: “When you play against these European teams, for me specifically against Estonia, whose last three matches were against Cyprus, Norway, and Italy in the World Cup qualifiers, it is a nice test for us.
“I hope the boys are excited for this challenge and they will try and play and do the best they can and see how far apart we are from Europe because when you watch World Cup qualifiers for the European teams, you always think your level is not close to that.
“Now we have an opportunity to test ourselves against a good European side, so it will be interesting but also a very good challenge for the players that we have.”
‘It is about being ready to compete’
Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania will host the 36th edition of the African football tournament organised by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) from June 19th to July 18th.
“The second thing is that it is a learning process. We are preparing for AFCON 2027 and you are not expecting your team to be winning every single game,” added McCarthy.
“For me it is about being ready to compete, ready to learn, and ready to improve from where we were last time. Whatever success we have experienced, we just want to be here, learn, and improve.
“Hopefully when AFCON 2027 comes, all this experience that we have gained from playing in matches like the FIFA Series and other upcoming international friendlies, we will have grown together as a team and as individuals.”
McCarthy concluded: ”When 2027 comes, that is when I want to hear my team saying we are targeting to win three out of four group stage games and qualify for the next stages. But for now, it is all about improving, getting better and learning from every experience we encounter.”
The 2027 AFCON will be the first to be hosted by three countries, and the first in five decades to be organised in the CECAFA region, since it was hosted by Ethiopia in 1976.