NAIROBI, Kenya, November 17, 2025 – Despite the odds heavily stacked against them, Harambee Stars midfielder Duke Abuya says they will not roll over for Senegal in Tuesday’s international friendly in Antalya, Turkey.
The Yanga FC attacking midfielder says they will not hesitate to take their chances to punish the Teranga Lions of Senegal.
“We have another crucial game ahead of us. It’s a friendly match, but to us it’s like a building process for our team. We are looking forward to whatever chance we get, we capitalise on the chance that we get,” Abuya said.
Harambee Stars are coming off a 1-0 loss to Equatorial Guinea in their last friendly in Turkey on Friday.
Looking back to the match, Abuya believes there are lot of positives that they can build upon ahead of their tussle with the 2021 African champions.
“We created a lot of chances and considering the kind of goal that they scored against us, we would have emerged victors in that game. We are focusing now on the next game against Senegal and we hope that whatever chance we create we are
going to utilise it,” Abuya, who wore the armband in that match, said.
The bravery notwithstanding, Abuya is cognisant of the huge task at hand for Benni McCarthy’s charges.
“Considering Senegal, they were the African champions in 2021. It will be a tight game. We will have to be in the same pitch as the other teams. It will give us the motivation to compete at the highest level possible,” he said.
Sylvester Owino takes a shot as Duke Abuya watches on. PHOTO/HARAMBEE STARS.
In the previous meetings between the two sides, Pape Thiaw’s charges have won four times, with the other encounter ending in a stalemate.
Their last meeting was at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt where Sadio Mane and Co. ran rampant, winning 3-0 in their final Group C encounter.
It was also the last time that Harambee Stars have featured at the competition.
Eight years later, Kenya will be co-hosting the 2027 Afcon, alongside Uganda and Tanzania.
Top of McCarthy’s to-do list is building a formidable team that will go toe-to-toe with the best from the continent.
To this end, the South African has assembled a team of young, inexperienced players for the latest international window.
Among them include promising youngster Aldrine Kibet, who made his senior bow in Friday’s 1-0 loss to Equatorial Guinea – playing in the last five minutes.
Nairobi United’s Kevin Otiende played the entire match, marshalling the left side of the defence.
Abuya, who made his debut for the national team in July 2019, is confident the youngsters will come good as they continue to feature for Harambee Stars.
“They are young players…very promising players. Kibet, the left back also, he had a good game. He played the entire 90 minutes. It’s a process to build a national team. It can be slow, but we thank God because the slower you start, the better it will be. They are young, very promising and I am sure that if the coach has called them, he has a plan for them,” he said.
The team have been training in Turkey, with their opponents arriving on Monday morning, ahead of the friendly.
