AFCON Qualifiers: Kenyans react to Harambee Stars performance as coach Firat remains hopeful

Kenyans took to social media to express their frustration following the national team’s recent poor performances in the AFCON qualifiers against Cameroon. After suffering a heavy 4-1 defeat in the first leg on Friday, October 11, the Harambee Stars lost again 1-0 in the second leg, played on Monday afternoon in Uganda, with Boris Enow netting the winning goal.

The back-to-back losses have only deepened the disappointment among Kenyan fans, who have been unimpressed with the team’s performances of late. This has added salt to the wound of supporters who were hoping for a stronger showing on the road to AFCON 2025.

Fan Reactions on Social Media

Many fans vented their frustration on X (formerly Twitter). Here’s a sample of the reactions:

Mallo Fredrick: Nyinyi enyewe hamko serious. Yaani dakika ya 94 ndo mnaanza kuaattack? (You guys aren’t serious. You start attacking in the 94th minute?)
SiiKesho: Invest in youth from all across Kenya. We are tired of your skewed selection.
Macharia Kibaku: Harambee Starlets can do better.
Felix Motende: Hapo kwa final third na finishing, work on that. We carry the ball well, progressively, but fail to shoot or kill the game. Good overall work, focus on Namibia.

While many were critical, a few positive comments emerged:

Memlond: Not bad considering the ranking of Cameroon.
Gucha: To be honest, the team played well today. There was much improvement compared to the last game. Of course, any team can concede from a free kick, IT’S NORMAL. Proud of the team.

Coach Engin Firat’s Response

Harambee Stars coach Engin Firat acknowledged that Kenya faces an uphill battle to qualify for the 2025 AFCON after consecutive defeats to Cameroon. These setbacks coincided with Zimbabwe’s back-to-back victories over Namibia, which pushed the Warriors’ points tally to eight, putting them in a strong position to qualify alongside Cameroon, who currently lead the group with 10 points.

Firat admitted that Kenya’s qualification hopes are now on thin ice. He stressed that winning the remaining matches against Zimbabwe and Namibia next month is crucial to keep their AFCON hopes alive.

“For our final two matches, we have to go out and win. We have no other option. We cannot take things for granted because this group is tough,” Firat remarked.

Unexpected Group Dynamics

Reflecting on the group’s dynamics, Firat noted the unexpected results from Namibia, who have yet to win a match in the qualifiers.

“Earlier, I said this group would go down to the wire, but what we didn’t anticipate was Namibia losing all their matches. That has been a bit surprising,” Firat said.

Kenyan players also raised concerns about the officiating during the return leg in Uganda, particularly what they viewed as biased refereeing decisions in favor of Cameroon.