Harambee Stars set for high-profile friendly with Senegal in Turkey on November 18
While the Lions of Teranga approach the tie as seasoned favourites, the Harambee Stars will view it as a chance to test their mettle, adapt to high-level tactical systems, and build confidence for future continental battles.
Harambee Stars is set for a major international test when they face 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) champions Senegal in a high-profile friendly on Monday, November 18, 2025, at the Mardan Sports Complex in Antalya, Turkey.
The match will kick off at 6:00 pm EAT (15:00 GMT), as confirmed by the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF).
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Announced on Wednesday evening, the fixture will be Kenya’s second friendly of the November international window, following their scheduled clash against Madagascar on November 14, also in Antalya. For Senegal, the Kenya match comes just three days after their much-anticipated showdown with Brazil at London’s Emirates Stadium on November 15.
The encounter will pit head coach Benni McCarthy’s charges against one of Africa’s strongest sides, led by Pape Thiaw, who guided the Lions of Teranga to a World Cup berth earlier this year. Senegal is expected to field a formidable lineup featuring global stars such as Sadio Mané, Kalidou Koulibaly, and Nicolas Jackson.
McCarthy, in the early stages of rebuilding the Harambee Stars, has named a youthful squad featuring rising talents Aldrine Kibet and Baron Ochieng, both earning their first senior call-ups for the Turkey camp.
The Antalya tour doubles as a mini training camp, designed to expose players to high-intensity football while fostering cohesion ahead of future assignments. The friendlies also mark the beginning of Kenya’s long-term preparations for AFCON 2027, which the country will co-host with Uganda and Tanzania.
Notably, captain Michael Olunga, who featured in Kenya’s last meeting with Senegal during the 2019 AFCON, a 3-0 group stage defeat, has been omitted from the current squad as McCarthy shifts focus toward integrating emerging talent.
The upcoming clash also revives a long-delayed fixture between the two nations, following the cancellation of a planned pre-CHAN meeting in July 2025.
Historically, Senegal has dominated the fixture, winning the last two encounters, but Kenya will hope to use this friendly to close the gap and measure progress against top-tier competition.
For Senegal, the match forms part of their preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Brazil and the 2025 AFCON in Morocco, where they’ve been drawn in Group D. It offers Thiaw a chance to rotate his squad and maintain sharpness following a successful qualification campaign.
While the Lions of Teranga approach the tie as seasoned favourites, the Harambee Stars will view it as a chance to test their mettle, adapt to high-level tactical systems, and build confidence for future continental battles.
With both sides in different phases of development, Senegal refining a world-class outfit and Kenya laying the foundations of a new era, the Antalya clash promises an intriguing contest of power, pace, and pride.
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