Somali club apologises after fans stamp on Kenyan flag

A Somali top-flight team has apologised to the government and people of Kenya after some of their fans were filmed stamping on a Kenyan flag during a CAF Champions League match.

Mogadishu City Club (MCC) played against Kenya premier league champions, Kenya Police FC, over the weekend at the Nyayo national stadium in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi.

The Somali side were the designated home team and lost the tie 3-1, but the match was overshadowed by controversy over videos on social media that captured their fans disrespecting the Kenyan flag.

In a statement, the Somali champions described the fans’ behavior as “unfortunate and unacceptable”, stressing that it did not reflect the values of the team or Somali football.

‘Strongly condemn’

“On behalf of Mogadishu City Club, we strongly condemn this act and extend our deepest apologies to the government and people of Kenya. Such behavior has no place in football or in the spirit of friendship and sportsmanship that this competition represents,” the statement said.

The club pledged full support for any action taken by the Kenyan authorities against those responsible and urged its supporters, particularly the youth, to respect national symbols and uphold the values of unity, love and peace.

Kenyans on social media were outraged by the video that involved two young men, with officials and fans condemning the disrespect of their country’s flag.

Goals from David Simiyu, Edward Omondi, and Eric Ngava put the Kenyan side in control of the two-leg tie.

Second leg match

The two sides will meet for the second leg tie on Sunday at the same venue with Kenya Police as the home team.

A win or draw would see the Kenyan side progress to the second preliminary round, scheduled for 17 October. They would face either Jamus FC Juba of South Sudan or Al Hilal Omdurman of Sudan, whose first leg ended in a 0–0 draw.

CAF Champions League group-stage matches are set to begin on 21 November, with the knockout phase in March 2026.