The script called for response and redemption, and that is exactly what unfolded in the World Cup Qualifier: Kenya vs Seychelles at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, where Harambee Stars tore through the visitors 5-0 to soothe the sting of their defeat to The Gambia.
This was Kenya playing with purpose, precision and pride, the kind of evening that reconnects a team with its public. Goals arrived early and often, the pressure valve releasing with every header and every roar from the terraces in Nairobi.
The mood before kickoff and the pressure to respond
After the 3-1 loss to The Gambia, criticism swirled and expectations sharpened. Benni McCarthy had issued a stern warning about standards and discipline, insisting that only hard work and focus would keep players in the squad. The assignment against Seychelles, ranked 203rd in the world, was simple on paper, but the emotion around Kasarani made it a test of mentality.
Seychelles arrived with bruises from a rugged qualifying journey, a run that had included heavy defeats, yet they brought spirit and a willingness to compete. Kenya needed clarity, intensity and a quick start, and they found all three.
A whirlwind start and the set piece storyline
Kenya’s early pressure was immediate, and it reflected a plan McCarthy and his staff had drawn up the day before, an emphasis on set pieces and aerial superiority. In the seventh minute Duke Abuya arced a free kick from the left, and Ryan Wesley Ogam attacked the near post to nod the opener past Robertson Padayachy.
On 35 minutes, nearly from the same channel, Abuya changed the target zone and picked out Collins Sichenje at the back post. The centre back rose above his marker and powered in a second header, the movement and execution straight from the training ground.
McCarthy later explained how deliberate that was.
We worked a bit on set pieces yesterday. We knew their team was not the tallest, so if we put the balls in the right areas, we could get some joy.
Ogam’s coming of age and Olunga’s leadership
Ryan Ogam, the 21-year-old Wolfsberger-bound striker, looked every inch the modern number nine, timing his runs, competing physically and finishing with conviction. He added a second goal in the 38th minute with another header, and he drew the foul that gave Kenya a penalty just before halftime, a moment that underlined his all-action influence.
Michael Olunga took responsibility from the spot and converted to make it four before the interval. In the second half, the captain added a towering header in the 66th minute from a fine Ronney Onyango delivery, a finish that captured both Kenya’s dominance in the air and the skipper’s relentless presence.
Olunga’s brace also carried personal resonance, as he drew level with Dennis Oliech on 34 goals for Harambee Stars. It was a milestone wrapped inside a team performance, a night where he shared credit generously and encouraged younger teammates throughout.
Sichenje’s double duty as defender and scorer
There was a quiet authority about Collins Sichenje across the ninety minutes. He anchored the back line, stepped into midfield when needed and then still found the penalty area at the perfect moment to score his header. His aerial command, mirrored by Ogam and Olunga, became an unmistakable theme in this Kasarani masterclass.
That balance, a defender secure at the back and dangerous on the set piece, gave Kenya control of transitions and sustained pressure in the attacking third.
Benni McCarthy’s plan and the tactical switch
McCarthy made five changes from the Gambia defeat, and the difference was immediate. Brian Bwire started in goal, with Manzur Okwaro in for the suspended Abud Omar at left back, and there were starting roles for Alpha Onyango, Job Ochieng and Ogam. The coach did not just change personnel, he shifted shape, moving from 4-2-3-1 to a more assertive 4-4-2.
The lineup placed Bwire behind a back four of Rooney Onyango, Sylvester Owino, Sichenje and Okwaro. Abuya and Alpha Onyango formed the double pivot, with William Lenkupae and Job Ochieng providing width. Up top, Olunga and Ogam stretched Seychelles with diagonal runs that pried open the low block.
Rooney Onyango often pushed high on the right, which allowed Lenkupae to drift inside and create overloads. Those rotations created passing lanes and repeated 1v1s against Seychelles’ left flank. Everything cohered into a blueprint Kenya followed with discipline.
We did exactly what we said we wanted to do, to take the game to them, not make it easy for them from the first minute, and when we create chances, just be a bit more ruthless and clinical.
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Seychelles show spirit but Kenya control every beat
For all the scoreline’s starkness, Seychelles refused to fold. They forced Bwire into a save inside the first minute and tested him from range again, reminding Kenya there could be no complacency. Their captain Dean Mothé and midfielder Brandon Labrosse produced flashes, while their physical approach led to several bookings as they wrestled with Kenya’s aerial strength.
Ralph Jean-Louis praised his young squad for resilience and for gaining experience, a nod to development within a brutal qualifying group. Yet Kenya set the tempo and kept it, and by the final whistle Seychelles had been outmatched in the air, in buildup and in the two boxes.
The little details that made a big difference
Duke Abuya’s deliveries varied between near and far post, which made markers hesitate and opened seams for runners. Rooney Onyango’s high starting position repeatedly isolated the opposing wingback, a platform for the 66th-minute cross that Olunga buried. Ogam’s penalty-winning movement, coupled with his brace, put a spotlight on a forward whose numbers have swelled to four goals in his last five for Kenya, a sequence that speaks to consistency.
Behind it all was a mental reset. McCarthy was candid about the pain of the Gambia loss, yet he demanded a professional response. Kenya scored four times before halftime, then kept their structure and tempo in the second half, which was exactly the growth the coach wanted to see.
To pick themselves up after the Gambia game wasn’t easy. Today, I think we did exactly what we set out to do. To score four goals in the first half, I’m pleased for the players. Overall, the way we played was very professional.
Three takeaways from Kenya’s rout
- Set piece mastery defined the contest, with four headed goals arriving from rehearsed routines and varied deliveries,
- The 4-4-2 partnership of Olunga and Ogam stretched Seychelles vertically and horizontally, unlocking space for runners and wide overloads,
- Depth and changes mattered, as five alterations injected energy and balance, while the response to adversity showed a growing competitive maturity.
How the goals unfolded
The first was Ogam’s near-post header in the seventh minute from an Abuya free kick. Sichenje then rose at the back post in the 35th minute to make it two, another Abuya delivery that punished hesitant defending. Ogam’s second arrived in the 38th minute, a reward for sharp movement and Kenya’s persistent pressure.
Just before halftime, Ogam was fouled in the area and Olunga dispatched the penalty, a captain’s assurance at a key moment. The fifth came on 66 minutes, when Ronney Onyango whipped in a precise cross and Olunga climbed highest to head home, a finish that encapsulated Kenya’s aerial edge and the fullback’s attacking influence.
Respect for the opponent and lessons carried forward
McCarthy refused to dismiss Seychelles, drawing a comparison with Madagascar and warning that underestimating any opponent invites danger. That respect informed the task-focused performance, from the first minute to the last, and it will remain essential as Kenya build toward sterner tests in the months ahead.
They are pretty similar to what we faced when we played Madagascar. They have individual players of good quality, and if you are not careful, they could hurt you.
What the win means and the road ahead
This 5-0 triumph was one of Kenya’s biggest in recent years, and it felt like a foundation stone for the next phase under Benni McCarthy. The team showed they can adjust shape, lean into strengths and execute a plan, even under the glare of scrutiny after a bad result.
Olunga’s landmark night, which brought him level with Dennis Oliech, will gather headlines. Yet the cohesion between the captain and Ogam, the authority of Sichenje, the assured goalkeeping of Bwire and the enterprise of Rooney Onyango and Abuya all speak to a collective that is evolving.
Kenya now turn their attention to the next round of World Cup qualifiers against Ivory Coast and Burundi. The stakes will rise again, and the opposition will be formidable, but the clarity shown at Kasarani is a blueprint worth carrying forward.
The human heartbeat behind the numbers
There was the joy of a young striker coming of age, a captain matching a national legend and a back four rebuilding trust after a tough night days earlier. There was a coach demanding standards, then watching his players meet them. There were supporters who needed a performance to believe in again, and they received one, measured in five goals and in the quieter moments of composure and control.
Football often reduces to margins and moments. Here, those moments belonged to Kenya, shaped by work on the training ground and a promise to start fast, stay ruthless and respect the game plan. The scoreline told a simple story, but the layers beneath it, the resilience and the readiness, are what make this victory resonate beyond the final whistle.
