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Atieno has explained how Harambee Stars can upset Cameroon in order to seal qualification to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
Former Kenya international Taiwo Atieno has expressed confidence that Harambee Stars can secure positive results in their crucial double-header Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 qualifying fixtures against Cameroon.
Atieno, who played for a host of English clubs such as Luton Town, Walsall and Rochdale before retiring in 2013, emphasises that Kenya’s success will hinge on one critical factor—being clinical in front of goal.
Kenya, aiming for their seventh appearance in the prestigious tournament, will face the Indomitable Lions on 7th October in Yaoundé, before the return fixture on 15th October at Uganda's Stade Nelson Mandela Stadium. Both teams currently top Group J, tied on four points apiece, with Kenya leading on goal difference.
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The Harambee Stars opened their qualification campaign with a goalless draw against Zimbabwe at Mandela Stadium on 6th September, before a 2-1 triumph over Namibia four days later at Orlando Stadium, South Africa.
Despite their solid start, Atieno, who represented Kenya in both the FIFA World Cup 2010 and AFCON 2013 qualifiers, believes the upcoming clashes against the African giants will be far from easy.
“It will be a tough challenge against Cameroon. Defensively, we need to be well-organised, but we have to be ambitious and attack when opportunities arise,” Atieno explained in an interview with SportsBoom.com. “Scoring goals will be key, but the team must remain balanced.”
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Reflecting on Kenya's tactical approach, the former Luton Town midfielder shared his thoughts on the best formations to exploit the Cameroonian defence. “I’d like to see Harambee Stars adopt either a 4-3-3 or an attacking 4-4-2 formation. We need to exploit the flanks, get the ball into the box, and create goal-scoring chances. It’s about making the most of our opportunities and being clinical in front of goal.”
Atieno, who earned five caps for Kenya, also assessed Harambee Stars' performance so far in the qualifying campaign. While pleased with the team's progress, he believes they could have garnered more points from their first two fixtures.
“I think we’ve done reasonably well so far. It’s still early days, and we need to push for more victories. With the talent we have, we could have potentially come away with more points, but it’s about building momentum now,” he added.
Kenya's resurgence in their second match against Namibia was marked by goals from striker John Avire, currently playing for Egyptian side Misr El Makasa, and Duke Abuya, who plies his trade at Young Africans (Yanga SC) in Tanzania. Their second-half strikes helped the Harambee Stars overturn a 1-0 deficit after Orlando Pirates midfielder Deon Hotto had given Namibia the lead.
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