WCQ 2026: Harambee Stars dominates Seychelles with a resounding win

In a thrilling World Cup 2026 qualifier held at the Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Kenya demonstrated absolute dominance, securing a convincing 5-0 win over Seychelles on Monday, 20th November.

The Seychelles side, looking to recover from a devastating 9-0 defeat to Ivory Coast on Friday, made three changes to their lineup in a bid to strengthen their performance.

The match kicked off with a bang as early as the second minute when Kenya's captain, Michael Olunga, capitalized on an opponent's error, opening the scoring and setting the tone for an exciting encounter. Olunga was unstoppable, doubling the lead just three minutes later with clinical precision.

Despite Kenya's early dominance, Seychelles had a glimmer of hope when Masoud Juma missed a golden opportunity to triple the lead in the 15th minute, failing to convert Rooney Onyango's inviting pass into the box.

Olunga continued to showcase his goal-scoring prowess, nearly completing a hat-trick, but Seychelles' goalkeeper, Carlos Simeon, pulled off a remarkable save to deny the Kenyan captain.

Just before halftime, Masoud Juma redeemed himself, making it 3-0 for Kenya after a quick throw-in by Amos Nondi.

After the break, Harambee Stars made a substitution, with Aboud Omar replacing the seemingly injured Erick Ouma. The change didn't disrupt Kenya's momentum, as Gor Mahia right-back Rooney Onyango extended the lead to 4-0 with a powerful volley from inside the box just after the hour mark, following an Aboud Omar cutback.

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In the 65th minute, Kenya made a double change, introducing Benson Omala and Ayub Timbe for Eric Johana and Masoud Juma, respectively. Omala wasted no time leaving his mark on the game, scoring the fifth goal with a simple tap-in from Rooney Onyango's pass.

The Kenyan side continued to press forward, and although Omala found the net again in the 82nd minute, his second goal was ruled out for offside.

With two minutes left in regulation time, Kenya made another double change, bringing in debutant Nabi Kibinguchy and Timothy Noor for Johnstone Omurwa and Rooney Onyango. Despite a late scare, Harambee Stars held on to secure an important win.

Kenya's next World Cup qualifier is against Burundi 3rd June 2024 in Nairobi.