Harambee Stars head coach Benni McCarthy has played down Kenya's chances of winning the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, admitting that the hosts currently lack the quality and depth to compete with the continent's established powerhouses.The 2027 AFCON will be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, marking the first time the East African region will stage the continent's flagship tournament.##NAJAVA_MECA_10010062##The three countries successfully hosted the 2025 African Nations Championship (CHAN), which was won by Morocco, with all three hosts reaching the quarter-finals before bowing out.Kenya are currently preparing for the tournament, which is scheduled to kick off in June 2027. Despite automatically qualifying as co-hosts, Harambee Stars are taking part in the AFCON qualifiers.Stars opened the latest international window with a 1-1 draw against Eritrea at home before suffering a 1-0 defeat to Guinea. They then rounded off the window with a goalless draw against Rwanda in Kigali.Cosmas Nabungolo reflects on three decades of triumphs as retirement beckonsKenya will now turn their attention to the November international window, when they are scheduled to face South Africa in a qualifying double-header.Speaking about Kenya's prospects of going all the way at the tournament, McCarthy acknowledged that while it is possible, he considers it highly unlikely given the current strength of the squad."Kenya can win AFCON, but it's highly unlikely we would have a chance to win. I'm not disrespecting anybody. “I'm just being honest and humble in that opinion. But for us, the main objective is to host the tournament and make sure that the AFCON is a big success for Kenya, for Tanzania, and for Uganda, who are hosting."McCarthy, however, pointed to the emergence of a new generation of Kenyan players, particularly those gaining experience in European leagues, as a source of optimism for the country's future."Kenya doesn't have a long history in African football, where they've done well in previous AFCONs. But now we have a new generation of players, young players. Many of them play their football in Europe".Harambee Starlets begin 2028 LA Olympics dream with Seychelles testHe believes the national team is gradually improving but still has some way to go before it can compete on equal terms with Africa's leading football nations.“So the team, the national team, is slowly but surely getting much better to a good level, and even if you were to pay me millions and millions of dollars to win AFCON, I don't think Kenya has the resources and the team strong enough to compete with Morocco, Egypt, Cote d'Ivoire, Senegal. Those are powerhouses."Harambee Stars drop to worst FIFA position in over eight years after winless international window