'We slept on the floor' - goalkeeper on struggles Harambee Stars faced in Tanzania
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Reading Time: 3min | Mon. 13.10.25. | 19:41
The tourney was set to feature Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Senegal, but McCarthy pulled the team out of the tournament a day before kick-off, citing deplorable accommodation conditions
Harambee Stars goalkeeper Farouk Shikalo has revealed the grim conditions the national team endured during the Mapinduzi Cup in Zanzibar earlier this year, where players were forced to sleep on the floor.
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Kenya took part in the January tournament, which featured Tanzania, Zanzibar, and Burkina Faso, as part of preparations for the African Nations Championship (CHAN) co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania eight months later.
The Stars finished third, behind winners Zanzibar and runners-up Burkina Faso.
While the team’s on-field performance was respectable, Shikalo says what the public did not see were the unbearable living conditions the players faced behind the scenes.
“We don’t talk because we go there to represent our country and fly the flag high. Every player dreams of that opportunity, but we were sleeping on the floor,” Shikalo revealed during an interview on the Tikitaka Show.
Despite the harsh conditions, the goalkeeper says the team remained focused and determined to give their best.
“We withstood all that and still fought on the pitch. But we were wondering why they treat us that way when they always get a good reception here in Kenya,” he added.
Shikalo’s comments came in response to criticism directed at Harambee Stars and head coach Benni McCarthy after the team withdrew from a Four-Nation Tournament in Tanzania in July.
The tourney was set to feature Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Senegal, but McCarthy pulled the team out of the tournament a day before kick-off, citing deplorable accommodation conditions.
“Many people judged us, saying we were wrong to withdraw. But they don’t know that even before that, during the Mapinduzi Cup, we were sleeping on the floor,” Shikalo said.
The experienced custodian went on to describe the poor state of the hotel booked for the July tournament, which ultimately prompted McCarthy’s decision to bring the team back home.
“In Tanzania, at the hotel, you had to walk about 500 meters to the reception just to get Wi-Fi. The food was also substandard, and that’s when the coach said, ‘With this environment, I cannot risk. Let’s go back home to a better place where there are no health risks,” Shikalo recalled.
According to him, other teams, including Tanzania and Senegal, were booked in better hotels, which raised concerns about biased treatment by the hosts.
“The hotel Tanzania and Senegal were staying in was great, so why not us? That’s why the coach said there was no need to risk illnesses, especially with CHAN just around the corner,” he said.
Despite lacking friendly matches in the lead-up to CHAN, Harambee Stars went on to perform commendably, reaching the quarter-finals of the continental competition.
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