Football flavor revived in Kenya as enthusiastic fans stream back
Local football insiders and analysts are now contending that football passion is slowly gaining its footing again mostly because the new administration is offering a solid footprint.
Four recent events in the past three months have put paid to a shift in how much the fans want to be part of the conversation.
The Harambee Stars game versus Gabon at home last weekend in a 2026 World Cup Qualifier at Nyayo Stadium, Harambee Starlets Women’s World Cup Qualifier against Tunisia at Ulinzi Complex late last month, Junior Starlets game at Nyayo Stadium against Uganda in a FIFA u17 2025 Women’s World Cup Qualifier mid this month and the first leg of the Mashemeji Derby this past weekend at Nyayo Stadium saw tons of supporters turn up.
According to Africa Football Journalist Collins Okinyo, when the top of the pie is football interested then things will trickle down seamlessly.
“I see how the new administration is really focused on developing the game and they also regularly attend events. Like the recent Mashemeji derby, the FKF President was personally hyping it on his social media channels. There is a new shift and it can only mean well going forward,” he told The Informer Media Group.
Indeed, the derby is estimated conservatively to have carried almost 50,000 persons in a stadium with a capacity of 30,000 with both sets of fans coming good to support their teams.
In the Harambee Stars versus Gabon game, a similar scenario was witnessed with well over 30,000 accessing the newly refurbished at Nyayo Stadium.
These numbers were traditionally unheard of in the past but some bright spark seems to be taking root again in Kenyan football. Incidentally the money factor now is huge as the derby garnered a total KSh 7.3 million for hosts Ingwe in the Derby while FKF collected around Sh1 million estimated in the Kenya and Gabon game.
According to Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya-one of his recent posts after the Kenya versus Gabon World Cup qualifier game was that there was renewed vision on the project because of new Harambee Stars South African tactician.
“Under the new leadership of Coach Benni McCarthy, it is evident that the team is embracing a renewed sense of purpose and strategy.”
FKF President Hussein Mohamed on his part stated after his attendance of the 96th edition of the Mashemeji Derby.
“Mashemeji Derby was a thrilling spectacle, once again congratulations to all the passionate fans who filled up Nyayo Stadium to cheer on your teams, your commitment to supporting Kenyan football is truly commendable, let us continue working together to ensure we develop Kenyan football to greater heights.”
