The good, the bad and the ugly of Harambee Stars' rollercoaster year

Kenya’s national football team Harambee Stars registered mixed results in the ending year, laying bare the gaps that need to be filled as the country races against time to build a team that can realistically challenge for the title when it co-hosts the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations tournament with Uganda and Tanzania.

In the ending year, Harambee Stars returned to international football after being in the cold for more than a year following a suspension by World football governing body, Fifa.

Fifa suspended Kenya on February 24 last year for government interference in the running of local football. Kenya had refused to yield to Fifa’s demands that it repeals its decision to disband Football Kenya Federation (FKF), and to walk back on its subsequent installation of a caretaker committee to run football in the country. 

While disbanding FKF on November 11, 2021, Amina Mohamed who was the Cabinet Secretary for Sport at the time cited corruption and abuse of office by FKF President Nick Mwendwa.

After the High Court dismissed the Sh38 million theft case against him on March 29, Mwendwa returned to the helm at FKF.

Soon after being sworn into office as the new sports cabinet secretary on October 27 last year, Ababu Namwamba sought to normalise relations between Kenya and Fifa by reinstating Mwendwa into office on November 4 last year.

The world football governing body swiftly lifted Kenya’s suspension on November 28, paving the way for the country to return to international competitions. 

In what has been quite a busy year for Harambee Stars, Kenya played eight matches in total - six friendlies and two Group ‘F’ matches of the 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifiers but again, the results were far from convincing.

Harambee Stars, under Turkish coach Engin Firat, marked their long-awaited return to action with a 2-1 loss to highly-ranked Iran at Azadi Stadium in Tehran on March 28. Mohammad Mohebbi, and Ramin Rezaeian struck late for Iran after Michael Olunga had scored for Kenya early in the second half. 

With that result, Iran maintained their dominance over Kenya.

The two teams first met in a friendly match on April 21, 1997 in Tehran, and the hosts prevailed 3-0. 
Before their meeting on March 28, Kenya had played Iran on March 14, 2009 in a friendly match in Tehran, and the hosts won by a solitary goal.

Despite the loss to Iran who ranked 24th globally at the time, coach Firat who had been fiercely critical of his players’ abilities, was elated by the team’s performance and even said the team would come good in a year’s time.

AFC Leopards midfielder Victor Omune, striker Alfred Scriven (IL Hodd, Norway) and defender Daniel Anyembe (Viborg, Denmark) made their national debut for Kenya in the match. 

“It was their first time together against a very strong team like Iran. It is very difficult to start like that, therefore I am happy with the way they played, and how they fought for everything in the match,” Firat said after the match.

“I think in a year’s time, we will be ready but at this moment, we still have a lot of work to do.”

In their next assignment in June, Kenya faced Pakistan and Mauritius in a four-nation friendly tournament in Mauritius. 

Djibouti also featured in the tournament, but they did not play Kenya since Firat’s boys arrived late for the tournament due to logistical challenges.

Courtesy of a first-half goal by debutant Moses Shumah, Kenya, then ranked 102nd, beat the 195th-ranked Pakistan 1-0 at Cote d’Ore National Complex in the Mauritian capital city Saint-Pierre on June 14.

Harambee Stars midfielder Richard Odada who plies his trade with Philadelphia Union in the US Major League Soccer, was named man of the match.

Kenya failed to build on the slim win in their next match against hosts Mauritius four days later, suffering a shock 1-0 loss to the Indian Ocean island nation, thanks to midfielder Kengy Saramandi’s first-half goal.

Mauritius, who were ranked 180th at the time, had succeeded in beating Kenya for the first time in seven meetings. 

Firat came under sharp criticism from Kenyan fans following the poor performance. He was accused of playing some of his players out of position.

Central midfielder Amos Nondi played as a full back while left back Abud Omar was deployed on the flank. 

Right back Daniel Sakari was also deployed on the flank, while defender Daniel Anyembe played in central midfield.

Despite the embarrassing defeat, Firat maintained that Kenya is on the right path and that the objective of the tournament was not only to win but to also help him discover new players.

The Turk redeemed his image in the team’s subsequent assignment against Qatar on September 7 with a 2-1 win. 

In the friendly match held at Al Janoub Stadium in the outskirts of Doha, defender Joseph Okumu and substitute Amos Nondi were on target for Stars, while Hasan Al-Haydos scored Qatar’s consolation.

But the joy of stunning the 59th-ranked 2022 Fifa World Cup hosts was short-lived as Kenya lost 1-0 to Bright Stars of South Sudan in another friendly match held at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, on September 12. 

It was the first time Stars were playing at home in over two years, and Kenya suffered the first defeat against South Sudan in all their five meetings. With striker Tito Okello scoring the winning goal in the second minute following a defensive lapse by Okumu, Firat blamed the loss on nervousness by his charges in the early stages of the match. 

But he caused an uproar from Kenyans when he said that Kenya lacks enough creative footballers.

“The reality, which you also see in the Kenyan League (Football Kenya Federation) is that Kenyan football is missing a lot of creative players and players who are really strong in one-on-one situations,” Firat said after the match against Bright Stars. 

He also lamented over being the only person relied upon to organise friendly matches for Stars, and pointed out that on occasions, he has had to use his own money to pay for some of the team’s administrative issues. 

“I feel it is a little bit a lot, to be honest, because it cannot be that everything is on my shoulders. I organised the friendly match against Iran on phone but for Qatar, you cannot organise by phone, they will not take you seriously. I took our team manager and one more friend there and we met the general secretary of the country’s football federation. It is always me, I never get any salary and I pay even from my pocket,” the Turk lamented.

In Kenya’s final preparation for the Group “F” matches of the 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifiers, Harambee Stars drew 2-2 with highly ranked Russia in a friendly match held on October 16 at Titanic Sports Complex, Antalya in Turkey.

Anthony Akumu and Masud Juma scored for Kenya while Aleksandr Sobolev and Ivan Oblyakov were on target for Russia, who are ranked 39th.

The results left Firat brimming with confidence ahead of the 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifiers. But it was debutant Rooney Onyango who stole the show in the match with his impressive performance, which has seen him become a regular in the national team.

Kenya started the journey to the upcoming World Cup in a disappointing note after losing 2-1 to hosts Gabon Franceville Stadium in Franceville City on November 16 but they bounced back with a 5-0 route over minnows Seychelles at the Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire four days later.

The ‘Pirates’ of Seychelles hosted the match in Cote d’Ivoire since there is no stadium approved by Caf in Seychelles.

Against Gabon, Jama opened the scoring for Stars on 40 minutes but US based midfielder Dennis Bounga’s and Red Star Belgrade midfielder scored in the 60th and 88th minute respectively for Gabon. 

Against Seychelles, skipper Michael Olunga scored a brace, while Masud Juma, Rooney Onyango and Benson Omala scored a goal apiece to help Kenya get back on track their World Cup qualifying campaign. 

Due to injuries, Firat was left without four key players in the two crucial away matches namely; defenders Joseph Okumu, Erick “Marcelo” Ouma and Daniel Anyembe and midfielder Ayub Timbe.
Having thrashed visitors Pirates 9-0 and defeated Gambia 2-0, favourites Cote d’Ivoire tops the pool with six points.

Gabon who thumped Burundi 2-1 in their other match of the pool have also garnered six points but with an inferior goal difference.

While Kenya and Burundi have all amassed three points each, Harambee Stars are ranked ahead in the group, courtesy of a superior goal difference.

Gambia and Seychelles have no point in the group, having lost all their two matches. The World Cup qualifying campaign resumes in June next year with Kenya hosting Burundi and Cote d’Ivoire. Firat has said that the future of Kenyan football is bright and that the team is firmly in the race to qualify for the 2026 Fifa World Cup. 

“I’m quite sure about this team and every player understands what is going on. I think Kenyan football now has a bright future,” said Firat after they beat Seychelles.

“People should not forget that we are the only team (in the pool) which played two matches away therefore we are very much in the race even though we started with a loss. I think now everyone has realised that this is a different Kenya, one which is ready to compete, hungry and not happy with any loss.” 

He said that the Kenyan squad will be at its prime in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals to be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania,

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