FKF President Hussein Mohammed issues apology after Harambee Stars' 8-0 collapse
Kenya’s frustrations boiled over in the 62nd minute when assistant coach Vasili Manousakis was sent off for arguing with the referee.
Harambee Stars endured a brutal night in Antalya, Turkey, after being torn apart 8-0 by a ruthless Senegal side in an international fixture that was anything but friendly.
The defeat marked Kenya’s heaviest loss in nearly half a century, dating back to their 9-0 collapse against Zambia in 1978, and laid bare the gulf in quality between the two national teams.
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Football Kenya Federation (FKF) President Hussein Mohammed issued a public apology shortly after the match, acknowledging the magnitude of the setback and promising structural reforms.
"Truth be told, today is a bad day. 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. 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," said Hussein Mohammed.
Kenya’s attempts to build play from the back were punished almost immediately.
The Lions of Teranga, already qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, pressed aggressively and struck their opener inside nine minutes when Nicolas Jackson danced past Baron Ochieng’ before beating goalkeeper Brian Bwire.
Within minutes, Malick Diouf tucked in Senegal’s second after Kenya failed to clear their lines. Jackson then completed a quick brace, pouncing on a cross from Ismaila Sarr to stretch the gap to 3–0 by the quarter-hour mark.
Sadio Mané then seized control of the match with devastating efficiency.
The Senegalese talisman fired home his first from an Idrissa Gueye pass, won and converted a penalty minutes later, and sealed his first-half hat-trick with a composed finish that deflected past Bwire. His treble took his national tally to 48 goals.
Kenya’s only glimmer of hope in the first period came through Alpha Onyango, whose long-range attempt flew narrowly over the bar. Jackson nearly joined Mané with his own hat-trick before halftime, but an offside call saved Kenya from even deeper embarrassment, leaving the score at 6–0 at the break.
Any hopes of stabilising the second half were dashed almost instantly. Just two minutes after the restart, Ibrahim Mbaye pounced to make it 7-0, Senegal’s biggest haul in a single match since routing Mauritius in 2010.
Kenya’s frustrations boiled over in the 62nd minute when assistant coach Vasili Manousakis was sent off for arguing with the referee. Kenya nearly snatched a consolation when Shariff Musa set up Ovellah Ochieng’, but the winger hesitated inside the box and the chance evaporated.
Senegal had the last word. With 10 minutes left, substitute Chérif Ndiaye converted a second penalty conceded by Sylvester Owino, concluding a long and painful evening for the Stars.
Kenya showed brief moments of possession and some fluid movement from substitutes, but nothing that troubled Senegal’s iron-clad defence.
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