Kenyans have shared mixed reactions following Harambee Stars’ heavy defeat to Cameroon in the AFCON qualifier match at the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium in Yaoundé.This was the first of two back-to-back games between the two teams in Group J of the 2025 AFCON qualifiers as the race for a spot in next year’s tournament in Morocco heats up. In the end, Harambee Stars lost 4-1 to the Indomitable Lions, highlighting the gap in class between the two sides. ##NAJAVA_MECA_8405606##First-half goals from captain Vincent Aboubakar, Martin Hongla, and Bryan Mbeumo, along with a second-half strike by Christian Bassogog, secured the win for Cameroon. Michael Olunga’s header in the first half was Kenya’s only consolation.Frustrated by their national team’s poor performance, Kenyans took to social media to express their thoughts. Here’s a sample of the reactions:“Stars’ performance was underwhelming. They showed no desire to play. The Indomitable Lions outplayed and outmuscled them,” said GT Tito.Harambee Stars head coach admits boisterous Cameroon fans played part in defeatCapo Di Tutti shared similar sentiments, saying, “Very sloppy today. You don’t play like that and expect to qualify.”James Odhiambo took to Facebook to express his frustration, calling the match an embarrassment: “How do you play like that against Cameroon? That was just poor football from Harambee Stars. Today, they were an embarrassment to the whole country.”CAF D license holder and popular Gor Mahia fan Wuod Ongare struck a more optimistic tone: “At least we tried to possess the ball, though against the wrong opponents. Cameroon dominated, but with fewer goalkeeper errors, the scoreline would have been different. We can still bounce back by defeating Namibia and Zimbabwe. Maybe we can even get a draw against Cameroon, sorry, Uganda.”Engin Firat preparing to blame Kenyan Journalists for Harambee Stars Loss against Cameroon pic.twitter.com/wRzHcO1kqF— Luhya_Dollar (@Dollar__SM) October 11, 2024 Football scribe Keke Roy pointed out tactical mistakes from the start: “The rain started beating us from the first team lineup. The fielding was off. Nondi was outpaced by Bassogog, leading to two goals. Why field Nondi when Omija had a good game against Ivory Coast? It must be because Nondi left camp to play for Gor Mahia. Rooney and Duke struggled on the flanks, Noor lost his form, and Matasi’s blunders demoralized the team. Mental strength is still lacking.”Mozzart Sports senior writer Kevin Teya echoed Roy’s sentiments: “The lineup was off, the approach was flawed, schoolboy defensive errors were made, and the goalkeeping was disastrous. Not a single player earned the right to wear the national colors today.”##NAJAVA_MECA_8405476##Joseph Okumu’s introduction in the second half did earn praise from Dino: “Okumu’s introduction significantly bolstered our defense, providing much-needed stability.”In the KPL Chat, a popular Facebook group for local football, reactions were equally harsh. Wuod Otieno said, “Akumu, Nondi, and Matasi should never feature in the national team again. That was poor.”PLAYER RATINGS: Cameroon v Kenya – Harambee Stars’ fail to impress against Africa’s giantAmos Juma added, “Matasi has only been consistent in one thing—conceding cheap, suspicious goals. Time to get rid of him.”Engin Firat”In Kenya, the problem is you always think you are the world champion, you underestimate everybody around you”#FootballKE#AFCONQ2025 pic.twitter.com/3t8exhzCUC— Dishon Onditi (@dishon_onditi) October 12, 2024 Kiarie Mbugua questioned the team selection: “The inconsistency in fielding is suspicious. Who changes a winning team?”Ceekay Adonis expressed disappointment over Bandari FC’s goalkeeper being benched: “Byrne is arguably the best goalkeeper in the country. He should have kept his spot. Why was he on the bench?”Finally, Abdii Abdi offered a unique solution: “Maybe the national football team should be handed over to Adani.”
