FKF Hold First Strategic Meeting with Benni McCarthy and Co to Map Out Harambee Stars Rebuild

The Football Kenya Federation has kick-started deliberate steps to ensure Harambee Stars get back to the top level after their 8-0 loss to Senegal in an international friendly match at the Mardan Stadium in Antalya, Turkey on Tuesday, November 18.

The Lions of Teranga, led by their star-studded line-up, were merciless, with the goals starting to rain in early. Sadio Mane was the undeniable Man of the Match, netting a comprehensive hat-trick (17', 31' pen, 35').

Nicolas Jackson also delivered a brilliant brace (9', 15'), with four goals coming within the first 17 minutes. The defensive disaster for the Harambee Stars saw them concede six goals before halftime.

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The other Senegalese goalscorers were Malick Diouf (12'), Ibrahima Mbaye (47'), and Cheikhou Ndiaye (80' pen). The result has put immense pressure on Harambee Stars coach Benni McCarthy and has been widely described as a national shame for Kenyan football.

Following the heavy defeat, a frustrated Hussein Mohammed apologised to Kenyans and promised to make a deliberate step towards ensuring Harambee Stars go back to their dominant ways.

Hussein Mohammed pointed out that the loss came as a wake-up call that certain things needed to change if Harambee Stars were to do better in their upcoming fixtures and the Africa Cup of Nations in 2027.

“To play and compete against the best in the world requires deliberate investment in a serious and professional technical team and player development programs,” he posted on his Facebook page after the match.

“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.”

To implement what he promised fans and all the stakeholders, Hussein Mohammed held a constructive meeting with Harambee Stars’ technical bench on Monday, November 24.

He pointed out that regular meetings will be the norm as they forge out a clear plan for Benni McCarthy and the entire technical bench to help Harambee Stars produce great results.

“Regular reviews and clear steps forward are essential to strengthening The Harambee Stars and ensuring we build sustainably for upcoming assignments,” he added.

“With this in mind, I chaired a meeting today with the technical bench, our federation’s technical committee, and technical staff.”

With Hussein Mohammed at the helm, the Football Kenya Federation is now taking concrete steps to rebuild Harambee Stars, with regular reviews, strategic planning, and strengthened technical support aimed at restoring the team’s competitiveness ahead of future fixtures and AFCON 2027.