Harambee Stars fans during Gabon match. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]
While Benni McCarthy was celebrating his first win as Harambee Stars coach in Morocco, former Afcon champions Senegal were proving to be the kings of the jungle against England after the Teranga Lions hammered the Three Lions 3-1 in their backyard.
Senegal became the first African side to defeat England in any competition.
It is these high-calibre matches that Harambee Stars fans are now demanding from the Football Kenya Federation (FKF), as the majority downplayed the basis of playing lower-ranked teams during the international break.
For many, it is not a must that they win every encounter with the top teams, but rather get the opportunity to not only face the African giants but also play top teams from Europe, America and Asia regularly.
Debutants Emmanuel Osoro and David Sakwa scored for Kenya as McCarthy’s men narrowly saw off Chad 2-1 on Tuesday night at Marrakech Stadium in Morocco.
The win marked the South Africans’ first win in charge, but Kenyans took to social media to call for more from the federation, arguing that Harambee Stars can only get better through playing stronger opponents.
“Playing against a team ranked 177th is an absolute joke and waste of public resources...And we nearly drew both games. We want serious friendlies, otherwise we are headed nowhere,” posted Amalemba Lucheveleli on X, formerly Twitter.
Oduor, a user that goes by the name Mtu ya Kawaida, added, “Next friendly please go for the big boys like Nigeria, Cameroon or Egypt since the best way to know if you can fly high is by flying with the big boys and learn from their experience. Congratulations for the win.”
The last time Kenya played a slightly stronger team during an international friendly was in September 2023, when Harambee Stars stunned Qatar 2-1, and in October the same year, when they drew 2-2 with Russia. Qatar is currently ranked 55th in the world, while Russia is 35.
Meanwhile, FC Talanta’s goal poacher Emmanuel Osoro believes Kenya has a long way to go after scoring and assisting in his debut.
“It’s a dream come true for me to be called up to the national team. Since I started playing football, I pictured myself here one day, and I am even pleased that I capped it with a goal that helped us win the match,” said Osoro.
“Adding an assist makes it a perfect start for me, but most importantly, I am glad that at last we got the win, especially in the wake of last week’s disappointing draw.”
On the other hand, David Sakwa, another debutant who scored in the Chad win, called for patience and urged Kenyans to have faith in the team and coach.
“The fans need to believe in us. Patience because what is cooking here with McCarthy in charge is going to be beautiful. At the same time, we also need to trust each other as players in as much as we call for the same from the fans,” said Sakwa.
Kenya were using the matches to prepare for 2024 CHAN set for August.