Harambee Stars head coach Engin Firat believes they can brush aside the torrid weather conditions in Polokwane to smash Zimbabwe at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers on Friday.
The Turkish gaffer will lead his charges in a vicious onslaught against the Warriors at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium.
Kenya's preparations for this game, however, have not gone as planned after heavy rains pounded the host city this week, soaking the training field and limiting them to a few hours of productive sessions.
"We want to win and we will do everything in our power to do so. The boys are mentally prepared. The matches are very important for us," Firat said.
"We have a good chance if we can align tactically and physically. We are not scared, and if everything goes as planned, we will be in Morocco," he said.
Kenya got off to a solid start, gleaning three points from their opening two games in September against Zimbabwe and Namibia.
However, they lost back-to-back ties against the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon, who thrashed them 4-1 in Douala before condemning them to a further 1-0 defeat in Nambole, Uganda.
But Firat is optimistic they can brush aside their two heartwrenching losses to collect maximum points against Zimbabwe.
Kenya's hopes of qualifying will be dashed if they lose on Friday. A draw or victory will force the race for second place to be decided in the group's final matches, where Kenya will face Namibia, Zimbabwe and Cameroon
Harambee Stars have a record of five wins and five losses in their 10 away games, but they have never been beaten by Zimbabwe in five previous encounters, winning three and drawing two.
This fixture will take place in Polokwane, South Africa because the Confederation of African Football ruled that Zimbabwe's facilities were insufficient to host AFCON qualifier matches.
Beating or sharing the spoils with Kenya will guarantee Zimbabwe a spot in Morocco next year after being excluded from the Afcon edition following a Fifa ban.
The Warriors have so far had a strong qualifying campaign and remain undefeated after the first four rounds, having drawn their two September internationals before defeating Namibia twice in a row last month.
The team's defensive consistency, which has seen them only give up one goal in this competition thus far, is one obvious improvement under Michael Nees's direction since he took over as head coach at the end of July.
With eight points and a current second-place standing in Group J, the Warriors must avoid defeat to advance. They will top the group if they win this game and their last match against Cameroon.
They have the opportunity to overtake Cameroon, who currently lead the group with 11 points after they were held to a goalless draw by Namibia in South Africa on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) has set the ticket prices for the qualifier against Kenya on Friday evening at R50 for general admission, with VIP tickets priced at R1800.
