Michael Olunga contests for a duel with Gambia players. Image || FKF

Michael Olunga has admitted that mistakes were Harambee Stars’ biggest undoing during their 3-1 loss to Gambia on Friday.

Harambee Stars captain Michael Olunga has issued a heartfelt apology to Kenyan fans after the national team’s 3-1 defeat to Gambia at Kasarani Stadium on Friday afternoon, a result that dealt a heavy blow to their 2026 World Cup qualification hopes.

Kenya had started brightly, creating early chances through William Lenkupae and Rooney Onyango, but defensive lapses proved costly. 

Gambia struck three times in the first half, with Sheriff Shinyan heading home from a Yankuba Minteh corner before the Brighton winger scored himself and later set up Musa Barrow to silence the home crowd.

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Olunga admitted the team was determined to make the fans proud but were punished for their errors. “We didn’t give up. We really wanted to make our fans proud, but at the end of the day it wasn’t to be. Still, we can’t thank them enough for turning out in large numbers to support the team,” he said.

Despite second-half substitutions that injected energy into Kenya’s play, Harambee Stars could only muster a late consolation through Ryan Ogam. 

For Olunga, the focus now is on learning from the defeat and turning the corner quickly ahead of Tuesday’s clash against Seychelles.

Kenya beat Seychelles 5-0 the last time they faced each other, with Michael Olunga scoring a brace when they met in November 2023.

With the game essentially a dead rubber clash, Olunga believes the side will leave nothing to chance in efforts to wind up the season on a high.

“We still have to go out there, compete, and fight for the country. We need to minimize our mistakes and learn from this game—understand what went wrong, analyze it in the coming days, and then give our very best in the upcoming fixture against Seychelles,” the Al Duhail striker added.

While qualification now looks out of reach, Olunga believes the character and work ethic within the squad will be crucial in restoring pride in the remaining fixtures.