When hope returned and reality hit Harambee Stars in 2025
Football
By
Washington Onyango
| Dec 21, 2025
The year 2025 will be remembered as one of the most emotional years in the history of Harambee Stars.
It was a year that showed both the beauty and the pain of Kenyan football.
From packed stadiums filled with song and flags to painful defeats that left fans silent, the national team lived through every possible feeling.
It was a year of change, courage, confusion and, above all, belief that something better can still be built.
The year begun with uncertainty hanging over the team but a sigh of relief was shared nationally when Engin Firat, the Turkish coach who had divided opinion for years, was fired by the new Football Kenya Federation (FKF) team led by Hussein Mohammed.
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Some players respected him, but many fans had grown tired of his ever changing tactics, style and lack of results.
Kenya had already missed out on the ongoing AFCON in Morocco, and the World Cup qualifiers were slipping away. When Firat left, there was no sadness, only a quiet acceptance that a painfull forced legacy and chapter had ended.
Then came hope in a famous name. In March, FKF unveiled Bafana Bafana legend Benni McCarthy as the new head coach.
A former European Champions League winner and a respected figure across Africa, McCarthy’s arrival changed the mood instantly. Fans talked again. Players smiled again. For the first time in a long while, Harambee Stars felt exciting even before kicking a ball.
McCarthy did not promise miracles. He spoke about hard work, patience and building a team that plays with courage. His first matches were friendlies, and while results were mixed, there were signs of progress. Kenya played with more freedom, more energy, and a clearer idea.
A friendly win over Chad gave supporters something small but important: belief.
That belief was tested harshly in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. Kenya needed results, not performances, but the margins were cruel. Draws and narrow defeats followed, and the turning point came at home against Gambia. A 3–1 loss at Kasarani officially ended Kenya’s World Cup dream. The players fought, the crowd pushed them on, but the quality gap showed. When the final whistle blew, the dream of reaching the World Cup for the first time was gone.
Yet 2025 was not defined only by failure. The heart of the year belonged to the African Nations Championship. When Kenya co-hosted CHAN alongside Uganda and Tanzania, something special happened. Stadiums filled up. Families came wearing national colours. Drums, chants and flags returned to Kenyan football. It felt like the country had fallen in love with the game all over again.
On the pitch, the team responded. Made up of local-based players, Harambee Stars played with hunger and pride. They pressed, they ran, and they believed. Kenya topped their group and reached the quarterfinals, their best CHAN performance in years. Every win felt like a national celebration. Even in defeat, the players walked off to standing ovations. For many fans, CHAN was the highlight of the year and proof that Kenyan football still has strong roots.
As the year moved on, reality returned. International friendlies exposed the gap between Kenya and Africa’s elite. Losses to Equatorial Guinea and other sides showed the work that still needs to be done. Then came the night that no one will forget, for the wrong reasons. In November, Harambee Stars faced Senegal in a friendly and were completely overwhelmed. The 8–0 defeat was painful, shocking and humiliating. Goals came wave after wave. Kenya had no answers.
The reaction was fierce. Fans were angry. Social media exploded. Critics questioned planning, preparation and squad depth. The federation apologised publicly, and the players admitted they had been outclassed. The loss also hurt Kenya’s FIFA ranking and reopened old debates about infrastructure, youth development and professionalism.
Still, even in that darkness, 2025 refused to be a hopeless year. McCarthy stood firm, taking responsibility and insisting the defeat would not define the team. Players spoke about learning and growing. Supporters, though hurt, did not walk away. They argued, they complained, but they stayed.
By the end of the year, Harambee Stars had not qualified for the World Cup and had suffered one of their worst defeats ever. But they had also united a nation during CHAN, filled stadiums, restored pride in local players and begun a new journey under a respected coach.
2025 was not a year of trophies. It was a year of truth. It showed Kenya where it stands, how far it must go, and what is possible when the country believes together. For Harambee Stars, the scars of 2025 may yet become the foundation of something stronger.