Like one Kenyan on Twitter aptly put it, “We’re [Kenya] playing like people that start queuing at 3 am for passports and it shows.”

Indeed, Kenya’s national football team Harambee Stars put in a pitiful performance against Algeria in their 2019 Africa Cup of Nations opening match on Sunday night.

First-half strikes from Baghdad Bounedjah and Riyad Mahrez condemned Harambee Stars to a sorry defeat in their first game of the continental tournament in 15 years.

Perhaps it was the jitters or inferiority complex that can come with the big stage but Harambee Stars barely put a shift in until it was too late. For over 80 minutes of the scrappy match, the Stars struggled to put simple passes together and the inexperience was evident.

In the end, Harambee Stars had zero shots on target as striker Olunga hardly got any service. It was not all gloom though as the Kenyan players did show some defensive fight against a formidable Algerian team. In the last ten minutes, the Stars also showed some encouraging signs that left a few Kenyans with at least a glimmer of hope.

For many Kenyans on Twitter, however, it was a largely disappointing game. Lawyer Miguna Migna, in particular, was among the dissenting voices.

He tweeted, “Football/soccer teams like  whose players are oppressed, exploited and depressed cannot prevail over players from more liberated and enlightened countries. It starts in the head. Let us liberate Kenya from the despots before we can become victorious.

The firebrand politician added, “Algerians are on the streets in their millions executing a revolution against despots while Kenyans are cheering their tyrants. Victory in soccer requires brain work: calculation, strategy, coordination and tactics. Not possible in despotic states.”

Here are some more reactions to Harambee Stars loss to Algeria: