The atmosphere at the Kasarani Stadium was charged. One could touch the hope in the air.
And it turned even more electric at the 48th minute when Alphonce Omija headed in to take Harambee Stars ahead.
The fans sang. They cheered their hearts out. On the pitch, the players dazzled. The African Nations Championship (Chan) semi-final appeared only a short distance away.
Not until 21 minutes later, when the Stars were dimmed after Fenohasina Gilles restored parity for Madagascar from the spot in the 69th minute.
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The mood switched. And the unimaginable happened after the extra time when the final kick bundled the nation out of the tournament.
The fans, eager to brighten up the Stars, trooped into the hallowed football cathedral in their colours and numbers as early as 10am.
Despite the ‘lack’ of tickets that had been a hue and cry in the course of the week, the stadium was fairly filled.
The spectators poured in their splendour, ready to partake in the crucial tie that was a do-or-die for the country.
Before gaining entrance into the newly refurbished sporting arena, the football enthusiasts had to unveil their match coupons which were scanned and verified by the keen ticket marshals.
Those without the entry passes were stopped two kilometres away from the stadium by hawk eyed policemen and the General Service Unit who rode on horseback.
Ticket-less fans were not allowed anywhere near the stadium perimeters. This was meant to avert the mayhem witnessed in the group stage clash that pitted Kenya against Morocco at the venue a fortnight ago.
A variety of ambulances were on standby, with ready medical personnel.
The roads leading to Kasarani were all closed at Muthaiga and at Roysambu to ease passage and entry into the sporting arena.
This proved a blessing in disguise for boda boda riders and taxi drivers who seized the chance to make a kill by ferrying spectators to zones that were closer to the stadium.
Also not left behind were the food vendors who were strategically placed in locations to offer hot and sumptuous meals to the fans.
Successful fans who had passed all the dragnets of labyrinths and mazes set up by the policemen, that included a thorough screening on the stadium entrance where paraphernalia like water bottles, whistles and vuvuzelas were confiscated, flooded the stadium in their numbers.
They painted Kasarani red and white as they supported Harambee Stars with all their might.
‘Eeh…aah, eeh.. ahh’ they screamed and cheered every touch of the ball.
Phrases like ‘Assistant Boyfriend’ and ‘Can you Marry Me, I have With Four Kids’ could be read on the back of some of the jerseys donned by the fans who lit up the stadium and made the atmosphere boisterous.The spectators thumped their feet, danced at half time to reggae music as they competed in unleashing their latest dance moves in town as the crunch tie progressed.
Makeshift cheering squads were in all corners of the stadium, inventing frenzied antics like the beautiful Mexican wave and coming up with other moves to scare away the determined Malagasy opponents.
And of course, the occasion could not have been complete without the selfie gangs and content creators who chanced on the match to make variety of videos and reels that will be used to litter TikTok timelines.
“Kenya will win this match, my prediction is 3-0,” Joseph Ogenga, a staunch Harambee Stars fan from Kasarani gave out his prediction during the adrenaline filled encounter.
“Mine is 1-0, that Madagascar custodian Michel Toldo will not be a walk in the park on their goal mouth. You know he has bagged three Man of The Match awards so far in this tournament, I see him being a piece of work to tackle in this fixture,” Steve Omondi , a spectator from Donholm said.
In contrast, Immanuel Makundi, a Tanzanian fan badly wanted Harambee Stars to lose.
“I want Kenya to be beaten like a drum. And if they are not, then we are waiting for them in the finals. It is high time Tanzania taught Kenya a lesson,” Makundi said.
Away from Makundi’s rants, Deputy President Kithure Kindiki led other dignitaries to watch the match at the Kasarani VVIP pavilion.
Harambee Stars players have confirmed that President William Ruto’s pledge of Sh1 million per victory per player, which has since been upgraded to Sh2.5 million, has motivated them.