This archive report was first published on 2 July 2019.
On Monday, Harambee Stars suffered a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Senegal in the Africa Cup of Nations. The loss was compounded by an awkward moment when a Kenyan player, John Avire, requested to exchange jerseys with Senegal's Saido Mane, but was denied due to post-match formalities.
According to a player who spoke off the record, Avire did indeed ask Mane for his jersey, but Mane directed him to wait until he was done with the post-match formalities.
However, the two players were unable to meet as Mane was asked to go and receive his player of the match award, and was subsequently mobbed by the media for interviews.
It's worth noting that exchange of jerseys after a match is a common occurrence in football, and is often practiced when players meet their celebrity counterparts and wish to look for a souvenir to keep memories.
Interestingly, Kenyan midfielder Johanna Omollo was able to exchange jerseys with a Senegal player, suggesting that it's not impossible for Harambee Stars players to achieve this feat.
