Kenya vs Senegal Player Ratings: The 8-0 Massacre That Exposed Harambee Stars’ Darkest Flaws

Harambee Stars endured a night to forget on Tuesday, suffering a crushing defeat at the hands of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations champions, Senegal, in a friendly match at the Titanic Sports Complex in Antalya, Turkey.

 The gulf in class between the two sides was evident from the start, as Benni McCarthy's charges were systematically dismantled.

The 8-0 scoreline marks Kenya's heaviest loss since 1978, a defensive capitulation that saw them trailing 5-0 within the opening 30 minutes.

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Here is how the players rated on a disastrous evening.

A truly harrowing shift for the goalkeeper, whose confidence seemed to shatter almost immediately. He was arguably at fault for the opener, reacting sluggishly to allow a Nicolas Jackson strike to squeeze in at his near post, a cardinal sin for a keeper at this level.Matters worsened significantly with his distribution.

Under pressure, he played a suicidal blind pass straight into the path of Ibrahim Mbaye, essentially handing Senegal their second goal on a silver platter.There was no redemption to be found as the game wore on.

He failed to parry a drive from Sadio Mane for the sixth goal and was sent diving the wrong way for two separate penalties, capping off a disastrous individual performance.

The Zamalek youngster was handed a start against elite opposition and he faced a brutal baptism of fire. He looked entirely out of his depth against the speed of the Senegalese attack, allowing Jackson to glide past him effortlessly for the opening goal.

His defensive awareness was repeatedly exposed, culminating in a panicked moment where he fouled Mbaye inside the box to concede the fifth goal. He spent the first half constantly chasing shadows.

McCarthy moved him into midfield for the second half to spare him further torture at full-back, where he looked slightly more stable, but the damage to his confidence had clearly been done.

The Etoile du Sahel defender struggled to make any mark on the game. Like his defensive partners, he allowed Jackson too much space for the opener and never recovered.

His lack of pace was exposed ruthlessly by the Senegalese attack. He was caught out of position for two long balls that resulted in the third and fourth goals.

McCarthy eventually took him out of the firing line at halftime, ending a miserable shift where he was consistently second-best.

Owino did not cover himself in glory, though he tried to impose a physical presence. While he cannot be solely blamed for the second goal—which stemmed from Bwire’s error—the defensive organization around him was nonexistent.

He fought to make his presence felt, but often found himself chasing shadows as Senegal moved the ball with precision.

His night ended on a sour note, as fingers were pointed in his direction for conceding a late penalty on Cherif Ndiaye, compounding the misery.3

Onyona was perhaps the only defender who did not play himself out of future contention. On his full debut, the Gor Mahia full-back gave absolutely everything he had in terms of effort.

Remarkably, he did not play a direct role in any of the goals conceded, which is a small victory in an 8-0 rout.

McCarthy trusted him for the full 90 minutes, and despite the scoreline, he received high-fives from teammates for his resilience under fire.

The veteran midfielder looked completely overrun in the center of the park. The tempo set by Senegal was blistering, and Akumu found himself bypassed repeatedly, unable to offer a screen for his defense.

He offered little in possession and failed to disrupt the opposition's flow, rendering him largely anonymous.

McCarthy had seen enough of the mismatch by the interval and withdrew him to prevent further midfield domination.

Lenkupae showed stamina to complete the match, but his contribution was overly conservative. His default setting was to pass backward, which, while retaining possession, killed any chance of a counter-attack.

He prioritized safety over progression, which played into Senegal's hands as they squeezed the play.

While he was not overrun as badly as others, his inability to look forward meant Kenya never relieved the pressure on their defense.

Onyango deserves credit for maintaining his intensity when the game was long lost. Despite being physically outmatched by a superior midfield, he fought for every loose ball.

He was the primary engine in the middle, trying to drive the team upfield through sheer willpower.

He also provided the only real moment of excitement for Kenya, registering the team's only dangerous attempt on goal.

Abuya was a victim of Kenya's inability to keep the ball. Starved of service, he spent the game dropping deep into his own territory to retrieve possession.

This nullified his attacking threat completely, as he was too far from the opposition goal to create anything.

He was effectively neutralized, forced to play as an auxiliary defender rather than a creative outlet.

The creative spark was completely extinguished. On the rare occasions the ball reached him, Odhiambo was bullied off it instantly by aggressive defending.

He failed to hold up play or link with teammates, losing possession cheaply whenever he tried to turn.

His substitution at halftime was inevitable, as he had been rendered completely ineffectual.

An isolated and frustrating figure up top. Ayunga received very little service, but he wasted the few opportunities he had to secure possession for his team.

His touch let him down at critical moments, failing to bring others into play.

His night was summed up by a heavy chest control in his own half that was intercepted, leading directly to Senegal’s sixth goal.

Entered a dead game in the second half and spent his time pressing defenders without ever seeing the ball in an attacking position.

Brought on to stop the bleeding; he organized the defense better and took the armband, though he was slow to react for Mbaye’s goal.

A frustrating cameo where he was forced to chase the ball defensively rather than showcasing his attacking instincts.

A calming influence compared to the first half chaos; he partnered with Kibwage to stabilize the right flank after the break.

Handed a senior debut late on; managed a few tidy touches during rare breakaways but had no real impact.

Injected pace on the left wing, creating one quality chance with a cutback that unfortunately found no takers.