Harambee Stars captain Michael Olunga has warned his charges against underrating Burundi when the two teams face off in a crunch 2026 World Cup qualifier in Lilongwe, Malawi on Friday 7 June. Speaking on the sidelines of the team’s training session at the Police Sacco Stadium in South C, Nairobi, the former Gor Mahia striker said Burundi are no pushovers and therefore Harambee Stars should approach the match with caution. “Burundi is a very good team – if you analyse their last two qualifier matches you will realise they actually did very well – beat Gambia at home and lost narrowly away to the same time. Physically and in terms of style of play we are almost at par and therefore we should not underrate them at all,” Olunga warned. “People are only focusing on the game against Ivory Coast but to me the bigger challenge is against Burundi. We really need to be at our best and be cautious.” He added. ##NAJAVA_MECA_8136271##Kenya takes on Burundi in Lilongwe, Malawi on Friday 7th June before taking on Ivory Coast four days later in the same venue. The captain is confident Harambee Stars can also get a positive result against Les Elephants. “Ofcourse they are the African champions by merit and therefore we expect a very tough match. However, there are no underdogs in football anymore – we all want to compete in the prestigious competitions and not just participate in the qualifiers. We have a very good team with a good blend of young exciting players from the local league and experienced players from abroad and that also means we stand an equal chance to win. We will give it our best shot.” He said. 2026 WCQ: Engin Firat hints at unexpected choices for Harambee Stars final squadOlunga also praised defender Tobias Knost – a new addition in the team. The Germany-based defender plays for SV Verl in Germany. “He is very versatile and athletic and that is a key thing for the team now that we have some challenges in the backline. We are trying to teach him some Swahili and also introduce him to the local cuisine and I think he has settled in very fast. He is a good addition into the team,” Olunga said. The team leaves for Malawi on Monday morning.
