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Why Kenya chose Turkish City for its friendly matches
Harambee Stars players during training at Lycee Classique Cocody, in Abidjan on October 12.
Turkey is one of three countries that Harambee Stars have played in before being hosted by the national team of that country. The other two countries are France and Spain, where Harambee Stars defeated Madagascar 1-0 and drew 1-1 with DR Congo in June 2019 respectively.
Harambee Stars first played in Turkey on October 16, 2023, when they drew 2-2 with Russia in what was Kenya’s second match against a mainland European nation since drawing 0-0 with Switzerland in Nairobi on December 6, 1983.
Before the encounter against the Swiss, Kenya had played four matches against Reunion, the Indian Ocean territory that is an overseas department of France.
The last international break of 2025 has arrived, and Harambee Stars are set to travel to Turkey to play friendly matches against Equatorial Guinea (November 14) and Senegal (November 18). The two matches will be played in Antalya, where Kenya also played Russia two years ago.
According to Athanas Oballa, the Football Kenya Federation’s Head of Projects and National Teams, the two matches will be played in Turkey because its location is convenient to Equatorial Guinea’s and Senegal’s European-based players.
“Playing the matches in Turkey will make travel and logistics easier for Equatorial Guinea and Senegal than playing them in Africa. It will be easy for them to get connecting flights,” Oballa said.
After playing Harambee Stars, Equatorial Guinea will face Madagascar in their second match of the window on November 17. The match will also be played in Antalya.
Senegal will land in Turkey for their match against Kenya from England after playing five-time world champions Brazil at the Emirates Stadium in London on November 15.
Playing the matches in Turkey will deny Kenyans an opportunity to watch Harambee Stars in action for the last time this year and there is still hope that Kenyans in Turkey will be allowed to attend the match.
“The match will most likely be played behind closed doors,” Oballa said.
The scheduling of the two friendly matches in Turkey, coupled with the fact that Harambee Stars played their last two friendly matches against Chad in Morocco in June, also highlight the commercial intrigues that influence planning of friendly matches among African teams.
It is for that reason that Oballa ruled out the involvement of the Kenyan government in having a hand with Kenya securing a historic friendly with Afcon 2021 winners Senegal.
The two countries have never met in a friendly match before but have played against each other four times.
All those four encounters came at Afcon tournaments, with Senegal defeating Kenya 3-0 at Afcon 2019, 2004, and 1992. Their meeting at Afcon 1990 ended in a 0-0 draw.
Their upcoming friendly match follows Senegal’s president, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, visiting Kenya on October 20 as one of the invited guests for this year’s Mashujaa Day celebrations which took place in Kitui.
Faye’s visit also preceded Kenya hosting the Africa-France Summit in May 2026, an occasion which will mark the first time that the event is taking place in an Anglophone country.
On October 21, President William Ruto announced that he and his Senegalese counterpart had signed an agreement which effected lifting visa restrictions between Kenya and Senegal.
Ruto also said that the two countries will cooperate in sports with Kenya leveraging on the West African nation’s expertise in infrastructure development, event management, and building of lasting sports legacies ahead of Afcon 2027, the competition Kenya will co-host with Tanzania and Uganda.
“By combining Kenya’s strength in athletics and Senegal’s prowess in football, we aim to uplift our youth and enhance cultural diplomacy,” he said.
Yet, the friendly match between Kenya and Senegal is just coincidental and not a cog in the diplomatic and political relationships between the two countries.
“This match is a football business affair and I do not think it has the involvement of either the Kenyan or the Senegalese government,” Oballa said.
“Our friendly matches against Equatorial Guinea and Senegal have been organised by McSport, which is a reputable match organising agency licensed by Fifa,” Oballa said.
“McSport organises friendly matches for top African teams and they also organised our two friendly matches against Chad in June,” he added.
To emphasize Oballa’s point on the commercialisation of friendly matches, in the last four years, Harambee Stars have played only one friendly match in Kenya, against South Sudan in September 2023. The other nine friendly matches they played in that period took place in Iran, Malawi, Mauritius, Morocco, Qatar, and Turkey.
The same is almost true for Senegal, who have played only two friendly matches in Senegal in the last four years.
On a sporting front, Oballa looks forward to Harambee Stars giving their best against Equatorial Guinea, who Kenya defeated 1-0 in their only previous encounter in 2018, and Senegal.
“It will boost our profile and Fifa ranking,” he said before confirming that Harambee Stars will leave for Turkey on Wednesday morning.
