This archive report was first published on 19 December 2019.
December 17, 2019, will be remembered as a dark day for Harambee Stars, Kenya's national football team, after they suffered a humiliating 4-1 semi-final defeat to Eritrea in the 2019 Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup tournament at Lugogo Stadium, Kampala.
Despite being ranked 106th in the world, Kenya was expected to win against the 205th ranked Eritrea, but the Red Sea boys had other plans. Eritrea's tactics and organization were spot on, and their skillful display made a complacent Stars look very ordinary.
The match was marred by Harambee Stars' poor defending, which led to the concession of four goals. Western Stima goalkeeper Samuel Odhiambo, who was featuring for the national team for the first time, was particularly criticized for his performance between the posts.
Coach Francis Kimanzi was gracious in defeat, but he said the whole team should take responsibility for the poor show. "To be honest, it wasn’t our day. We conceded some goals that we could have done better as a team to defend," Kimanzi said.
