Kenya bow out of Futsal AFCON 2026 qualifiers after Namibia defeat
By Joel Masibo, January 28, 2026Kenya’s dream of qualifying for the historic 2026 Futsal Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco came to an end on Wednesday evening, January 28, 2026, after a 10–7 home loss to Namibia at the Kasarani Indoor Arena sealed their elimination.
The defeat meant the James Omondi-coached side exited the qualifiers with an 18–11 aggregate score, having earlier gone down 8–4 in the first leg played in Windhoek.
Needing a strong comeback in Nairobi, Kenya started brightly and showed attacking intent, pushing forward in search of the early goals required to revive their hopes. However, Namibia’s experience and composure proved decisive as they punished defensive lapses and maintained control during crucial moments of the encounter.
Despite a spirited display that saw the hosts score seven times, the visitors were ruthless in front of goal, netting 10 to shut the door on any possibility of a dramatic turnaround.
Before the return leg encounter, the national futsal team captain Ana Mahad had expressed delight in playing in front of home fans ahead of the fixture in the capital. In his message, Mahad has also urged local fans to throng Kasarani Indoor Arena as Kenya seeks to advance to the next stage of the qualifiers.
”As a player, it means a lot to me, just like my fellow players. Playing for our nation in front of our families means a lot. My message to the fans: come in your numbers. They also have to believe in us. Without their support, we would not be here. For them to be at the arena, their voice will be heard,” Hamad said on Tuesday evening, January 27, 2026.
In a desperate approach to fill the Arena, Football Kenya Federation had also waived the entry fee charges to accommodate all futsal enthusiasts in support of the national team.
According to details released by FKF on Monday, January 26, 2026, the decisive encounter is scheduled to kick off at 4:00 pm and will be open to fans free of charge, in a move aimed at rallying strong home support for the national team.
Meanwhile, Namibia will now proceed to the next stage of the qualifiers as Kenya failed to overturn the first-leg deficit.