Kenya’s national football team, the Harambee Stars, saw their slim hopes of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup officially ended on Friday following a 3-1 home defeat to Gambia in a Group F qualifier at Kasarani Stadium. Harambee Stars captain Michael Olunga attributed the loss to a series of “costly mistakes” that derailed the team’s promising start.
The home side began the match with a strong offensive presence, dominating the first 20 minutes and creating several scoring opportunities. However, the momentum shifted when Brighton & Hove Albion winger Yankuba Minteh orchestrated a brutal three-goal blitz for the visiting Scorpions. Minteh first assisted Sheriff Sinyan for the opener, then scored himself with a powerful finish, before setting up Musa Barrow for a third goal just before the halftime whistle. The first half ended with Gambia holding a commanding 3-0 lead.
Speaking after the match, Olunga, who plays for Al Arabi in the Saudi Pro League, did not shy away from the team’s errors. “Today, honestly, we lost the game because of our own mistakes,” he said. “We started the game quite well… but we made three back-to-back mistakes and were punished.” The striker lamented the difficulty of staging a comeback from such a deficit, calling it “a mountain to climb,” but credited his teammates for their fighting spirit in the second half.
The Harambee Stars’ persistence was rewarded when Austria-bound Ryan Ogam scored a consolation goal with nine minutes left on the clock. Despite the goal, the comeback attempt was ultimately unsuccessful.
Gambia’s head coach, Johnathan McKinstry, acknowledged Kenya’s resilience. “I don’t think we have a team in the continent that works harder than the Harambee Stars. Even when they are trailing 3-0, they’re still running, running, running, they’re not giving up,” McKinstry stated. He added that Kenya’s determination made the second half more difficult for his side and that they “deserved to get the consolation goal.”
The defeat at Kasarani followed Gabon’s 4-0 victory over Seychelles, a result that had already eliminated Kenya from contention for a World Cup spot.
Kenya will now look to close out their qualification campaign on a high note when they face Seychelles on Tuesday at the same venue, while Gambia will take on Burundi.
