The country has in a long time tried to qualify for the World Cup to no avail. As a country, we have failed in all occasions, and only managed to feature in a handful of continental tournaments.
However, that does not mean Harambee Stars has not had memorable matches over the years, which will forever be remembered by many of the Kenyans.
Kenya has always come against stronger opponents on most occasions, and the fact that as a country we are yet to achieve the ‘footballing independence’ we have failed in all hurdles.
Here are some of the matches that will be forever engraved in many Kenyans’ hearts.
1). Kenya v. Ethiopia, 1986 FIFA World Qualifiers
Kenya came up against its neighbours in an entertaining future that saw Kenya win 4-3 on aggregate, after a good performance on both legs.
Harambee was forced to dig deep to register a 2-1 win in Nairobi on October 13, 1984, after going into the break tied at 1-1.
In the reverse fixture in Addis Ababa two weeks later, the two teams settled for a 3-3 draw, and Kenya proceeded to the next round.
2). Kenya v. Liberia, 1990 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers
Kenya narrowly came to within touching distance of qualifying for the 1990 World Cup but lost their last match 2-0 to Egypt, who took the ticket from their group.
The country was in the same group as Egypt, Malawi, and Liberia, and collected five points after winning one and drawing thrice.
They beat Liberia 1-0 in Nairobi, which was feared because of George Weah, who was the best in the continent then.
3). Kenya v. Algeria, 1998 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers
The match against Algeria will be remembered by many, who consider it as the best match the national team ever played against the North African sides.
The team, under coach Vojoslav Gardasevic put in a worthy performance, silencing the Arabs with a 3-1 win in Nairobi. The second leg ended 1-0 in favour of Algeria, ending the tie 3-2 in favor of the home boys.
4). Kenya v. Burkina Faso, 1998 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers
Coached by the famous Reinhardt Fabisch, the team did not disappoint and almost qualified for the world showpiece. The match against Burkina Faso was an epic one and saw Kenya beat their opponents 4-3 in Nairobi and 4-2 away.
5). Kenya v. Nigeria, 2014 FIFA World Qualifiers
Kenya did not manage to qualify for the showpiece in Africa soil in South Africa, but one of the memorable performances has to be the 1-1 draw against Nigeria in Nigeria.
The team came to within minutes of winning the tie, but Nnamdi Oduamadi rescued a point for his team in the dying minutes.