Harambee Stars captain Michael Olunga wants fans to rally behind the players and not focus on what they did not do right against The Gambia.
Harambee Stars captain Michael Olunga has defended himself and his teammates after some of them came in for criticism during and after their game against The Gambia.
Kenya fought back twice to snatch a 3-3 draw against The Gambia in their 2026 World Cup qualifier in Abidjan on Thursday with all goals scored in the second half after coach Benni McCarthy made some great substitutions.
The starting XI has some of the most experienced players but they failed to put in a good display until the likes of Jonah Ayunga, William Lenkupae and Mohammed Bajaber came in to change things, with Olunga among those who did not cover themselves in glory.
Fans praised Harambee Stars’ resilience in their 3-3 draw against Gambia, with many optimistic about Benni McCarthy’s impact despite concerns over team selection and Michael Olunga’s performance
That saw Kenyan fans go hard on the experienced players, calling for changes in their next game against Gabon on Sunday, but Olunga feels it is unwarranted as everyone contributed to the result.
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“The team character and spirit was good and this is what the coach told us and instilled in us that we had. Each and every player is important and whoever gets a chance to play and to be the correctors, everybody needs to be of the same mindset and this is what was shown during in this game,” Olunga said upon arrival at the airport.
“It is about the team spirit and teamwork. When you start singling out individual players, then it doesn’t become more of teamwork but at the end of the day, you could see that we scored three goals away from home.
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“It shows there was something coming into the attack and we hope we can continue to find the back of the net in the upcoming games which is quite important.”
Olunga is hoping for improvements in their next game against Gabon on Sunday and has urged fans to turn up in large numbers in what will be their first game on home soil since November 2021.
The striker, however, has a battle to keep his place in the starting line-up after his less than impressive display against The Gambia, having had Kenya’s best chance of the game in the first half and missed.
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Harambee Stars will shift focus to their World Cup qualifier against Gabon in Nairobi on Sunday and here is everything you need to know about the must-win clash.
