NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 7 – One would have been forgiven to mistake the Al Janoub Stadium in the outskirts of Doha as another facility in Nairobi or Kakamega, as thousands of Kenyans living in Qatar turned the noise up for Harambee Stars as they face off with the hosts in a friendly match.
Football Kenya Federation (FKF) officials said that 15,000 tickets were sold for the match and 11,000 of them, approximately, were bought by the Kenyan community in the gulf city.
It was reminiscent of scenes seen during the Doha leg of the World Athletics Diamond League when thousands of Kenyans turn up to cheer the red green and black, only this time, the numbers were swollen, and the voices were louder.
Stars won the game 2-1 courtesy of a last minute goal by Amos Nondi, with the stadium erupting in deafening sounds as the Kenyan community raised their voices in celebration.
Skipper Michael Olunga speaking after the match struggled to raise his voice over the crowd noise, but he was delighted with the performance of the team.
“It was a fantastic game, difficult game against a good Qatar side. They played really well but as a team we showed character. The tempo of the game was high and I am super proud of the collective effort the team had. I am happy for the performance. We started well and finished well, scoring in the last minute,” said the skipper, who plays his club football for Qatari champions Al Duhail.
Stars fly back home on Friday, and will switch their attention to next Tuesday’s friendly against South Sudan at the Moi Sports Centre Kasarani.
