Kenya suffered a humbling 8–0 defeat to a clinical Senegal side in a friendly match played on Thursday at the Mardan Stadium in Antalya, Turkey — a result that will go down as one of the heaviest losses in Harambee Stars’ history.
Sadio Mané grabbed a first-half hat-trick, Nicolas Jackson scored twice, while Malick Diouf and substitute Chérif Ndiaye added to the tally in a one-sided contest that exposed Kenya’s defensive frailties from start to finish.
For head coach Benni McCarthy, the match offered a painful assessment of where his rebuilding project currently stands. The loss is the biggest under his tenure and Kenya’s worst since their 9–0 defeat to Zambia in 1978.
Early Collapse Sets the Tone
Senegal wasted no time asserting their superiority. Jackson opened the scoring inside the opening 10 minutes, finishing calmly after Kenya were dispossessed deep in their own half.
Moments later, Diouf pounced on another defensive lapse to make it 2–0, and by the quarter-hour mark, Kenya were already three goals down as Jackson tapped in a low delivery from Ismaïla Sarr.
Barely a minute after the restart, Mané joined the scoresheet, powering past his marker before unleashing a fierce strike past goalkeeper Brian Bwire.
Kenya showed glimpses of attacking intent through Jonah Ayunga and William Lenkupae, but the Senegal backline closed every door.
Mané’s Masterclass
Mané soon doubled his tally from the penalty spot after being tripped in the box by defender Sylvester Owino. His hat-trick arrived shortly afterward when he floated a clever effort over Bwire, whose attempted save deflected the ball into the net.
Senegal had a seventh goal disallowed shortly before halftime, with Jackson adjudged offside.
More Pain After the Break
The second half brought no relief for Kenya. Mané and Jackson combined once again, with the Al-Nassr forward calmly slotting home his fourth of the evening and Senegal’s seventh.
Bwire produced one of the few bright moments for Kenya by tipping away a dangerous header from Kalidou Koulibaly, temporarily delaying the inevitable.
Kenya improved slightly in possession after several substitutions, but the Senegal defense — marshalled by Koulibaly — remained unbreached.
Their hopes of escaping with a smaller margin vanished in the 80th minute when Ndiaye converted Senegal’s second penalty, also conceded by Owino, to complete the 8–0 scoreline.
A Bitter Lesson for Harambee Stars
Though the match carried no competitive significance, the gulf in quality was evident throughout, and the result will spark serious conversations within the Kenyan camp.
For Senegal, the performance serves as a timely confidence boost ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations kicking off next month in Morocco.
For Kenya, however, the night in Antalya will stand as a stark reminder of the demanding road still ahead as they look to rebuild a competitive national team.
By Samson Jura
