Harambee Stars’ hopes of qualifying for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) are looking increasingly slim, according to former striker Francis Chinjili.The ex-Sofapaka forward believes the nation’s chances were severely compromised when they failed to secure home matches, denying them both home advantage and crucial fan support.Speaking to Mozzart Sport, Chinjili pointed to the October international break as a turning point, where Kenya’s qualification campaign took a significant hit following consecutive losses to Cameroon.##NAJAVA_MECA_8494804##Under Turkish coach Engin Firat, Kenya first suffered a heavy 4-1 defeat in Yaoundé before losing 1-0 in the return leg played in Kampala, Uganda.”Kenya shot themselves in the foot,” said Chinjili. “By allowing these crucial matches to be played away from home, they took away any advantage that could have helped them, especially with the fans’ support. The fans are a major part of the team’s morale, and playing away from home made things harder.”##NAJAVA_MECA_8494769##To keep their qualification hopes alive, Kenya must now win both of their remaining matches against Zimbabwe and Namibia.Securing six points would bring their total to 10, but they would still need Cameroon to beat Zimbabwe in their final match for a chance to advance.If Zimbabwe beats Cameroon, The Warriors will finish with 11 points and qualify regardless of the result against Kenya. A draw between Kenya and Zimbabwe would leave the Stars with only five points, effectively ending their chances.Analysing Leonardo Neiva’s poor record at Gor Mahia that got him sacked”Football is unpredictable, and there is still a small chance Kenya could pull off an upset against Zimbabwe,” Chinjili said.”But it’s a slim chance. Zimbabwe only needs a draw, while we need a win. They could easily frustrate us with tactics like time-wasting and then hit us on the counter. That would be a tough challenge.”Michael Olunga wins award in QatarThe former AFC Leopards forward emphasized that Kenya’s failure to secure control of Group J earlier in the campaign was a critical mistake.Before the losses to Cameroon, Kenya had been in a strong position, topping the group with four points after a 1-1 draw with Zimbabwe and a 2-1 win over Namibia.“If we had played those games at home, I believe we would have done better,” Chinjili reflected. “From my experience with the national team, the fans play a massive role in motivating players. For instance, the game against Zimbabwe in Uganda — if we had our fans there, we could have won.”Potiphar Odhiambo on what Kakamega Homeboyz need to challenge for the FKF Premier League titleChinjili added that the decision to play on neutral grounds against tough opponents like Cameroon gave the Stars little room to assert themselves.”We gave our opponents more freedom to dominate us,” he said. “Our players lacked the motivation to perform, and ultimately, we have ourselves to blame for not securing a ticket to Morocco.”
