Bravin Yuri joins Itumbi in pushing for Kenya vs Tanzania friendly after CHAN exit
By Ascah Mwango, August 23, 2025Mental health champion Bravin Yuri has thrown his weight behind Dennis Itumbi’s proposal for a friendly clash between Kenya’s Harambee Stars and Tanzania’s Taifa Stars following their painful exits from the African Nations Championship.
Through his Instagram stories on Friday, August 22, 2025, Yuri encouraged football authorities in both countries to organise the showdown, saying it would give fans something to look forward to despite the disappointing campaign.
He also playfully mocked Tanzania after their quarter-final loss to Morocco. According to him, had Tanzania won, Kenyans would have been subjected to endless teasing about Swahili, with Tanzanians parading their linguistic pride at every opportunity.
He joked that even the Kenyan dictionary might have been renamed to reflect Tanzanian influence.
“Tunataka Friendly. Harambee Stars vs Tanzania. Make it happen,” Yuri said.
“Jirani angeshinda, mngebeba Kamusi zingewavunja sana next week. Hata Kenyan Dictionary wangebadikisha handle to Kamusi ya Wakenya/Kikenya,” he mocked.
Head of Presidential Special Projects and Creative Economy Dennis Itumbi had suggested that the friendly match be staged as part of Kenya’s Jamhuri Day celebrations. He shared his thoughts on X, saying the fixture would bring excitement to the December 12 independence events while strengthening regional football ties.
“As part of Jamhuri Celebrations, I propose a friendly match between Harambee Stars and Taifa Stars,” Itumbi said.
He added that the game should be played both home and away to create a mini-series that would excite fans across East Africa.
“Played Home and Away. Our banter would translate to a good game,” he said.
Itumbi also took the moment to send best wishes to Uganda’s Cranes as they prepared for their own quarter-final clash.
“I pray for the Cranes…they belong to all of us kwa Jumuia ama vipi,” he said.
End of journey
Kenya and Tanzania’s journey in the 2024 African Nations Championship ended in the quarter-finals. Both sides had shown great promise but could not advance to the last four.
In Nairobi, Harambee Stars faced Madagascar in a tense match that ended in a 1-1 draw after extra time. Kenya had taken the lead through defender Alphonce Omija, whose powerful header sent the home fans into celebration. Their joy was short-lived as Madagascar equalised minutes later when Razafimaro scored from the penalty spot after a defensive mistake.
The game went into penalties and Madagascar won 4-3. One missed kick proved costly for Kenya, who bowed out in front of their passionate home crowd. It was a heartbreaking loss for Harambee Stars, who had displayed confidence and steady improvement throughout the tournament.
In Dar es Salaam, Taifa Stars also saw their dream cut short after losing 1-0 to Morocco. The two-time champions struggled to break down Tanzania in the first half, with goalkeeper Yakoub Suleiman pulling off several brilliant saves.
The deadlock was broken in the 65th minute when Oussama Lamlioui found the back of the net after a clever pass from Youssef Belammari. Tanzania pushed forward in search of an equaliser but could not score. The loss ended their historic run, but the team earned praise for reaching the quarter-finals for the first time in their history.
For Kenya, the elimination was equally painful. Harambee Stars had been hoping to reach the semi-finals for the first time. Their spirited performance against Madagascar gave fans hope that the team could rise to higher levels of competition in the future.