Collins Sichenje looks to Kenya's 2027 AFCON campaign with optimism

The tournament, to be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, will place East Africa at the forefront of continental football, and Sichenje believes the region must treat this moment with the seriousness it deserves.

Sichenje insists that Kenya cannot afford to approach the tournament lightly, emphasising that the country's footballing narrative should not be anchored in previous failures.

He briefly acknowledged the humiliating defeat to Senegal but refused to allow that result to define the national team's long-term prospects. Instead, he called for a forward-looking mindset built on discipline, planning and belief.

"That is not where our focus should be. The past is painful, yes, but it is not our future," said Sichenje.

"AFCON 2027 will not judge us by old wounds. It will judge us by our preparation.

"We will be facing strong teams. We can't approach that casually. We must prepare with the intention to compete, not merely to appear.

"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.

"Home crowds should not intimidate; they should energise. We play for your people, and that gives you courage. We must embrace that pride."