Harambee Stars centre back Collins Sichenje in a past international match/HANDOUT
Harambee Stars centre back Collins Sichenje believes Kenya must set its ambitions firmly on performing credibly at the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, rather than being defined by past failings.
The continental tournament, to be hosted jointly by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, represents a rare moment when East Africa will occupy centre stage. Sichenje argues that Kenya has no right to treat that stage lightly.
He acknowledges, almost in passing, the humiliating defeat to Senegal, but refuses to let it dominate the narrative. “That is not where our focus should be. The past is painful, yes, but it is not our future,” he says. “AFCON 2027 will not judge us by old wounds. It will judge us by our preparation.”
His outlook is pragmatic rather than romantic. “We will be facing strong teams. We can't approach that casually. We must prepare with the intention to compete, not merely to appear.”
Sichenje sees potential that is rarely harnessed. Kenyan football often lurches between promise and exasperation, yet he remains convinced there is an opportunity to build something coherent.
“This country has talent. We have players gaining experience abroad. We have local recruits improving. What we lack is structure. If we fix structure, we can compete.”
He argues that the tournament’s setting offers not pressure alone, but advantage. “Home crowds should not intimidate; they should energise. We play for your people, and that gives you courage. We must embrace that pride.”
More than emotion, however, Sichenje wants tactical clarity. “AFCON is not chaos,” he says. “It rewards organisation, defensive intelligence, and game management. We need an identity that is recognisable, not improvised. We need automatisms — patterns of play we can rely on under pressure.”
He sees squad depth as essential, rather than theoretical. “You cannot go into AFCON relying on one team sheet. Football at that level needs options. Injuries happen, suspensions happen, and tactical challenges change. We must build a group, not a line-up.”
Preparation, in his view, is not a slogan but a scientific discipline. “Training must be structured. Analysis must be detailed. Recovery must be professional. We cannot behave like a casual side and expect professional results.”
He is equally clear on the psychological demands. “Afcon punishes anxiety. Confidence is not arrogance; it is work. If you prepare thoroughly, you do not fear big teams. You meet them on level terms.”
Sichenje wants unity behind a single coherent plan. “Players, federation, and coaches must share one vision. If leadership is scattered, the team becomes scattered. Shared clarity makes the work easier.”
He insists this is not a distant objective but an urgent one. “2027 sounds far away. It is not. Every FIFA window matters now. We cannot drift and hope to improvise when the tournament arrives.”
He recognises the symbolic weight of the tournament. “This moment is bigger than individual careers. It is about how the world perceives Kenya and East African football. AFCON is an inspection. It will test our seriousness.”
His conclusion is unsentimental yet optimistic. Kenya’s performance, he says, will be determined not by rhetoric but by the discipline of preparation. “If we plan properly, we will compete. If we prepare carelessly, we will struggle. I believe we can build something respectable. AFCON 2027 must be our chance to show growth.”
What Sichenje offers is not bravado but clarity: Kenyan football no longer has the luxury of drifting. The opportunity is historic; the spotlight unforgiving; the work, urgent.
