NAIROBI, Kenya – Football Kenya Federation (FKF) President Hussein Mohammed has issued a public apology after Harambee Stars suffered a historic 8–0 loss to Senegal in a FIFA international friendly match on Tuesday night.
The heavy defeat, recorded at Mardan Stadium in Turkey, is one of Kenya’s worst results in recent years and exposed glaring weaknesses in the national team’s competitiveness against top-tier opponents.
In a statement shared on X, Hussein described the performance as “a bad day in the office” and admitted that the result reflects deeper structural problems within Kenyan football.
“Truth be told, today is a bad day in office. The results from today’s games are a wake-up call to us,” he said. “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 pledged sweeping reforms, announcing an immediate review of all FKF policies, operational procedures, and staff performance indicators.
The overhaul, he added, will begin at the grassroots and eventually cascade to all national teams.
“I apologise for these results. We shall fix it,” he said, assuring fans that corrective measures would be implemented without delay.
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
Kenya struggled throughout the match, unable to keep up with a dominant Senegal side that controlled possession, tempo, and chances from start to finish.
The defeat comes just days after Harambee Stars lost 1–0 to Equatorial Guinea in another friendly in Antalya, Turkey.
In that match, Jose Miranda converted a penalty just before halftime, while Kenya’s Byrne Omondi was sent the wrong way.
Despite improved play in the second half—including chances from Jonah Ayunga, Ovella Ochieng, and Austine Odhiambo—the Stars failed to find an equaliser.
The back-to-back losses contrast sharply with the optimism generated earlier this year when Kenya made its debut at the African Nations Championship (CHAN), going unbeaten in the group stage and earning praise for tactical discipline and teamwork.
The FKF now faces renewed pressure to rebuild confidence in the national team ahead of future international assignments.
