Jonah Ayunga bemoans Harambee Stars' loss to Equatorial Guinea
What you need to know:
- The match, played at the Complex Stadium in Antalya, Turkey, saw Kenya fall short against their opponents.
- Equatorial Guinea striker Jose Miranda netted the lone goal from the spot in the 44th minute of the match.
Harambee Stars winger Jonah Ayunga has has bemoaned Kenya’s 1-0 defeat to Equatorial Guinea in an international friendly match played on Friday in Turkey.
The match, played at the Complex Stadium in Antalya, Turkey, saw Kenya fall short against their opponents.
Equatorial Guinea striker Jose Miranda netted the lone goal from the spot in the 44th minute of the match.
Harambee Stars walk off the pitch after a training session at Lycee Classique Cocody, in Abidjan on October 12, 2025.
Ayunga 28, who features for Scottish Premiership club St Mirren, said in a post-match interview that they have themselves to blame for the loss.
“The penalty was a 50/50 call, I am not sure if it was a penalty or not, because I have not reviewed the clip. Defensively, we limited them to a couple of shots, and their only real chance came from the penalty," Ayunga said after the match on Friday night.
"In the first half, we needed to capitalize on our opportunities; our final pass and finishing weren’t sharp enough. We created numerous chances but couldn’t score,” he added.
Miranda was brought down in the penalty area by defender Rooney Onyango, and the referee pointed to the spot. However, the video replay appeared to show a soft touch.
“Our game plan to sit deep, recover the ball, and transition quickly worked well in the first half, but things didn’t go as planned in the second. The game plan in the first half required us forwards and midfielders to convert our chances, which we failed to do,” Ayunga said.
The 28-year-old has called on his team mates to better in the second friendly match which Kenya will play against 2026 Fifa World Cup-bound Senegal. Senegal will also play in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco from December 21, 2025 to January 27, 2026.
In Friday’s match, defender Kevin Otiende made his national team debut for Kenya.
“It was my first call-up to the team, and I played 90 minutes. It was a good experience playing alongside senior players, many of whom I only used to watch on the pitch,” Otiende, who features for Nairobi United in the Football Kenya Federation Premier League, said.
The match was the first of two friendlies that Kenya had lined up in Antalya, Turkey, both to be played during Fifa international break between November 10 and 18.
Kenya will play Senegal in a second friendly match on Tuesday (November 18, 2025) at Mardan Stadium. Senegal lost 2-0 to Brazil in a friendly match played on Saturday at the Emirates Stadium in London.
The two matches have replaced another two that Kenya had lined up against Madagascar and Comoros.
Equatorial Guinea and Senegal are using the friendly matches to prepare for 2025 Afcon, which will be held in Morocco.
Senegal’s squad boasts stars, among them former Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, former Liverpool striker Sadio Mane, Nicolas Jackson who is on loan at Bayern Munich from Chelsea, and former Chelsea striker Kalidou Koulibaly.
