FKF Under Fire After Benni McCarthy’s Kenya Suffers 8–0 Hammering by Senegal

FKF Under Fire After Benni McCarthy’s Kenya Suffers 8–0 Hammering by Senegal

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) is facing intense scrutiny following the Harambee Stars’ humiliating 8–0 defeat to Senegal — the heaviest loss of Benni McCarthy’s coaching career and Kenya’s second worst in history after their 1965 loss to Ghana.

Senegal dismantled Kenya in Turkey on Tuesday, racing to a 4–0 lead within 17 minutes and extending it to 6–0 by halftime before completing the rout in the second half.

Also Read: “He Was on Another Level”: Benni McCarthy Reveals the Football Icon Who Inspired Him Most

Fans Criticise Tactics — But Was McCarthy Set Up to Fail?

The crushing defeat immediately triggered backlash from Kenyan fans, who questioned McCarthy’s tactics, selection, and readiness for such a high-profile opponent.

However, emerging details suggest that the South African legend may have been blindsided by FKF’s last-minute fixture changes.

Technical Team Says Senegal Match Was Not Initially Planned

According to McCarthy’s assistant coach, Vasili Manousakis, the technical team had spent weeks preparing for entirely different opponents — Comoros and Madagascar — only to be handed a completely new schedule after squad selection had already been finalised.

“We don’t know how, or who agreed to the fixture. We were discussing playing Comoros and Madagascar… then we got Equatorial Guinea, and later Senegal was added. We don’t know quite how it happened, but it happened,” Manousakis told Kenyan media.

Young Squad Forced to Face Top African Giants

McCarthy had deliberately left out several first-choice players for the November friendlies, aiming to test young talent against less intimidating opposition.

But after the fixture list changed unexpectedly, the inexperienced squad found themselves up against Equatorial Guinea — who beat them 1–0 — and then continental powerhouse Senegal.

The late switch meant McCarthy and his technical team had no time to readjust their plans, leaving their youthful lineup exposed against one of Africa’s strongest teams.