Football Kenya Federation (FKF) President Hussein Mohammed./COURTERSY
Football Kenya Federation (FKF) President Hussein Mohammed has apologised to fans after the national team suffered a humiliating 8–0 defeat to Senegal.
Hussein described the performance as a bad day in the office and a wake-up call for the country’s football leadership.
On Tuesday evening, Kenya suffered a heavy defeat after losing 8–0 to Senegal in a FIFA international friendly match. The game saw Harambee Stars struggle against a dominant Senegalese side.
The FKF President said there is no excuses and assured Kenyans that reforms are on the way.
“Truth be told, today is a bad day in office. The results from today's games are a wake-up call to us. To play and compete against the best in the world requires deliberate investment in a serious and professional technical team and player development programs. We have no excuses,” he said on X.
He announced an immediate review of all FKF policies, operational procedures, and staff performance metrics. The overhaul, he added, will start at the grassroots before extending to all national teams.
“I apologise for these results. We shall fix it. We will review our policies, operational procedures and key performance indicators of all staff starting from the grassroots and working our way to all National teams.”
Kenya created moments of effort but failed to break through, while Senegal maintained control throughout the match.
The result marks one of Kenya’s toughest outings in recent friendly fixtures. The game was played at Mardan Stadium, Turkey.
On Friday, Harambee Stars lost 1-0 to Equatorial Guinea in a friendly match in Antalya, Turkey.
Jose Miranda scored for Equatorial Guinea from a penalty just before halftime, sending Kenya’s goalkeeper Byrne Omondi the wrong way.
Earlier, Jonah Ayunga had a great chance to give Harambee Stars the lead, but his shot was brilliantly saved by Jesus Lazaro Owono.
In the second half, Harambee Stars played better and had more possession, but they struggled to create clear chances.
Substitute Ovella Ochieng added more speed to the attack, and his cross hit a Guinean defender’s arm, but the referee didn’t award a penalty.
Another substitute, Austine Odhiambo, had a good chance to equalise in the 80th minute, but his shot went over the bar after a pass from Rooney Onyango.
The latest defeat comes only months after Harambee Stars delivered their strongest-ever performance at the African Nations Championship (CHAN), raising expectations about the team’s progress.
In their debut appearance, Stars surprised many by going unbeaten in the group stage, securing key wins and demonstrating improved tactical discipline and teamwork.
