McCarthy opens up about Harambee Stars’ 8-0 humiliation by Senegal
By Luke Oluoch, March 25, 2026Harambee Stars coach Benni McCarthy has opened up on the circumstances behind the Harambee Stars’ humiliation at the hands of Senegal in the past international window.
The reigning African champions thrashed a hapless Kenyan team in a scoreboard-defying 8-0 scoreline on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, in Antalya, Turkey.
Dented football image
The not-so-friendly encounter went down as one of the most embarrassing football moments for the Kenyan national team and the country’s football image.
Speaking at Nyayo National Stadium on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, McCarthy insisted the result did not reflect the real status and strength of his lads.
The coach attributed the loss to last-minute fixture changes and the experimental squad comprising largely locally based players with little experience on the international stage against the African champions.
According to him, having initially prepared for the opponents’ different opponents before being scheduled to face Senegal, a situation he said was beyond the technical bench’s control.
He, however, elected to take up the test rather than back off.
Out of my hands
“We were supposed to play against Madagascar and Comoros, and then it changed to Equatorial Guinea and Madagascar. Then it changed again to two matches against Equatorial Guinea. A week before the tournament, we were told we had to play Senegal, so it was completely out of my hands,” he added.
Redemption
With that result partially now water under the bridge, McCarthy says the upcoming FIFA Series in Kigali, Rwanda, presents a perfect chance for amends.
Kenya now has its focus on Friday, March 27, the series opener against Estonia at 6:00 pm.
A win will guarantee the nation a berth in the final against the winner of the other clash, pitting Rwanda and Grenada.
“We are playing against Estonia, and if we win, we play the winner of Rwanda and Grenada. It’s a nice little opportunity for us to rectify things and make people forget about the last result,” McCarthy said.
“We have a chance to put something positive back in the minds of Kenyans.”