Nairobi — Harambee Stars midfielder Teddy Akumu has admitted that missing out on qualification for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) was a painful ordeal, saying he had yearned for the dream after missing out on Kenya's team for the 2019 showpiece.

Akumu was painfully dropped from the travelling team to Egypt 2019 after a month-long camp in France, and had yearned to clear out that pain with qualification for Morocco 2025, but it only ended up in another set of pain after a 1-1 draw with Zimbabwe.

"I had really wanted to qualify because in 2019 I narrowly missed out on the final squad. It was painful not to make the cut and missing out on qualification for this year's tournament was even more painful. I cried after the Zimbabwe match because I had really wanted us to qualify and it meant a lot for me. It was tough to take for the team because we knew we had a chance to do so," Akumu said in an interview with Telecomasia.net.

The midfielder, currently 32, hopes to maintain his shape and remain competitive to raise his hand for selection for the 2027 showpiece which will be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. He believes that new coach Benni McCarthy has brought a new breath of fresh air into the team and they will succeed.

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"I really enjoyed playing under McCarthy in the last two games in the World Cup qualifiers. He is a great coach and really knows what he is doing. We played like that after just three sessions. Just imagine the change we will see when we train longer? I believe he will succeed with the national team because he has already shown what he can do," Akumu added.

McCarthy's contract with Kenya runs right until the 2027 Cup of Nations. Akumu's hope now is to maintain his performance at top level for the next two years.