Football Kenya Federation (FKF) president Hussein Mohammed has issued a rare and strongly worded apology to Kenyans following Harambee Stars’ humiliating 8–0 defeat to Senegal in an international friendly on Tuesday evening in Turkey, saying the loss exposes deep structural flaws that must now be urgently addressed.
Senegal dominated from start to finish, scoring six goals in the first half and adding two more after the break in what has become one of the heaviest defeats in Kenya’s football history. But while the scoreline grabbed global attention, the reaction from Kandanda House quickly shifted the conversation to the state of the national team and the federation’s direction.
Hussein, in a late-night statement, acknowledged that the performance was unacceptable and reflected long-standing inadequacies within Kenya’s football system.
“Truth be told, today is a bad day in the office,” he wrote. “To play and compete against the best in the world requires deliberate investment in a serious and professional technical team and player development programs.”
The FKF boss apologised directly to Kenyans, stressing that the federation had “no excuses” and must take responsibility for the embarrassing result.
“We have no excuses. I apologise for these results. We shall fix it. We will review our policies, operational procedures, and key performance indicators of all staff, starting from the grassroots and extending to all national teams,” he said.
His remarks signal the strongest public commitment yet from FKF leadership to confront long-standing issues around coaching standards, talent development, and national team preparation—areas critics say have been neglected for years.
Deputy president McDonald Mariga echoed Hussein’s position, urging accountability without finger-pointing.
“The loss to Senegal is painful, no excuses,” Mariga said. “We take responsibility, fix our mistakes, and come back stronger. We’re not hiding, we’re not blaming anyone, and we’re not giving up.”
He also framed the defeat as an opportunity for the players to grow:
“To the players, this is fuel. Harambee Stars will bounce back stronger, better, and more prepared for the level we aim to compete at.”
While the match itself—featuring a Sadio Mané hat-trick and two goals from Nicolas Jackson—was a stark reminder of how far Kenya remains from Africa’s top footballing nations, all eyes are now on FKF’s promised reforms.
The apology has set expectations high, and Kenyans will be watching closely to see whether Tuesday’s humiliation becomes a turning point or yet another unfulfilled pledge in the long struggle to rebuild national football.
