According to the most recent FIFA World Rankings on May 2012, Malawi is placed 23rd in Africa and 102 internationally while Kenya is further below at 34th in Africa and in position 117 globally.

On Saturday 2 June 2012, Kenya’s Harambee Stars will host Malawi in the first of six 2014 World Cup qualifiers at the Moi International Sports Complex Kasarani.

The two have met in friendly games nine times, Africa Cup of Nations cum World Cup qualifiers (twice), CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup (16 times), Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers (twice), World Cup Qualifiers (four times), All Africa games (once) and once more in a Re-union tournament way back on 6 July 1976.

Malawi and Kenya have met a total of 35 times in all competitions, the first ever meet being a friendly game played way back on the 7th of June 1968 in Blantyre, Malawi. That game ended in a 2-2 draw.

Malawi has not been an easy ride for Kenya and as statistics indicate, Kenya has only gotten the better of them six times (17.1%), drawn 13 times (37.1%) and lost 16 times (45.7%).

In all games, Malawi has outscored Kenya 46 - 31 goals.

On 29 November 2010, Malawi beat Kenya 3-2 in a Group C tie then followed it up with a 2-0 win a year later - on 28 November 2011 in, coincidentally, another Group C tie. Both games were played at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium.

In their last encounter in Nairobi – on 4 September 2004, Kenya beat Malawi 3-2 in a 2006 Africa Cup of Nations/World Cup qualifier played at the Moi Sports Centre Kasarani.

The last 2006 Africa Cup/World Cup qualifier between the two – on 8th Oct 2005 ended 3-0 in favour of Malawi but by then, the game was a dead rubber, and played as a formality.

Ahead of the game on 2 June, Kenya will be led to the pitch by Coach Francis Kimanzi who was in charge when the two teams met in a friendly in Mzuzu, Malawi on 6 July 2008. The game ended 0-0.

Malawi has Coach Kinnah Phiri in charge for the game - he has been at the helm since March 2008. The two; Kinnah and Kimanzi will be coming face to face on 2 June for the third time.