Harambee Stars Hammered 8-0 by Senegal: The Brutal Truth We Can’t Ignore Before AFCON 2027
Kenya’s Harambee Stars fell 8-0 to Senegal in an international friendly match played on Monday evening.
Senegal forward Nicolas Jackson scored twice in the opening 15 minutes, setting the tone for a one-sided encounter. The Lions of Teranga added six more goals to record Kenya’s heaviest defeat in recent history.
While the result came in a preparatory friendly, it underlined the current gap between Kenya and Africa’s top nations. Kenya has already been eliminated from qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The national team showed improved organisation at the 2025 CHAN tournament with a locally-based squad, reaching the quarter-finals. However, performances against full-strength international opposition continue to expose limitations.
With Kenya set to co-host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, the road ahead appears significantly more demanding than CHAN. The tournament will feature the continent’s leading sides and higher competitive intensity.
Reaching the knockout stage on home soil in 2027 is widely seen as the minimum expectation for the Harambee Stars.
Preparation, planning and consistent high-level matches will be required to close the gap and avoid heavy defeats against elite opposition.
