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Kenyans formed over 80 percent of fans at Al Janoub Stadium as Harambee Stars beat Qatar and there are a number of reasons why they were more than the natives
Reports that Kenyans snapped up 11,000 of the 15,000 tickets available during Harambee Stars’ friendly match against Qatar on Thursday were met by surprise and pride back home.
There was a carnivore atmosphere at the Al Janoub Stadium in Doha as Kenya took on the hosts and won 2-1 thanks to an early goal from Joseph Okumu and a late strike from Amos Nondi.
Kenya had never won against a Middle East opponent since February 1994 but ended that drought following an impressive show that was far from their toothless display at the Four-Nations tournament back in June.
Harambee Stars’ cause was helped by the fact that the stadium was filled by Kenyans who kept pushing them and they returned the favour in style.
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07:00 - 08.09.2023
FOOTBALL: Six lessons learned from Harambee Stars’ historic win over Qatar
There were plenty of positives to pick from the win over Qatar following a disappointing outing at the Four Nations Tournament.
However, many have been wondering how Kenyans would outnumber Qataris at their backyard when their own national team was playing.
With a population of 2.6 million, just over 300,000 are locals Qataris, the rest being expatriates who fuel various sectors of the country’s economy. Among them, is nearly 60,000 Kenyans.
Kenya’s biggest export to Qatar is her migrant workforce which has risen from 10,000 in 2013 to nearly 60,000 according to official data from the state of Qatar.
They are attracted by the higher pay for similar work compared to what is offered back home.
Over half of this number work in the hospitality, transport and security sectors while there is also a huge pool of domestic workers.
“Other Kenyans are professionals in education, oil and gas engineers, pilots, cabin crew and ground handlers with Qatar Airways and Hamad International Airport,” Kenya’s Ambassador to Qatar Boniface Nduva Mwilu told Nation last December, while also revealing that the two countries have a bilateral agreement that enables Qatar to provide employment to Kenyans, thus contributed to the alleviation of youth unemployment.
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08:00 - 08.09.2023
FOOTBALL: Harambee Stars attributes that satisfied Olunga most during win over Qatar
The Harambee Stars captain is wowed by the manner in which Kenya performed in Doha to secure a last-minute victory against Qatar
With that, nearly anyone who had time could afford a ticket while the efficient transport system meant accessibility from whatever corner of the nation was possible.
Given that match took place in evening when many were done with work, an opportunity not just to watch Harambee Stars but connect with other Kenyans also presented itself, contributing to the big turnout.
All that, added to the fact that captain Michael Olunga plays for one of Qatar’s top teams Al Duhail gave Kenya the edge in terms of turnout.
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