'Haunted' Harambee Stars defender Alphonce Omija sorry for penalty miss

The Gor Mahia player was left heartbroken as Madagascar capitalised on his failure to convert from the penalty spot to punch CHAN semi-final ticket at Kasarani last Friday.

And, speaking of the incident for the first time, when he appeared on Ramogi TV's Mbaka Oromo show hosted by Cleophas Oluoch on Wednesday, Omija revealed his anguish and agony at missing the opportunity to help Kenya secure the last-four slot.

Omija, who had given Kenya the lead, would later miss his kick in the decisive penalty sequence, as Stars’ dream run at their debut CHAN ended in heartbreak as Madagascar held their nerve to win 4-3 after the match had closed out at 1-1 after extra-time.

The defender, who appeared on the show  alongside teammate Sylvester Owino recounted the intense pressure of the moment, stating that the miss was not intentional but unpredictable. He carried his country’s weight on his shoulder.

“That evening, there were so many things I was thinking about, so many things. There was a lot of pressure and stress, thinking about what had happened. But it was not intentional. It is just how football is. That is how things go,” said Omija.

He used the national platform to offer a heartfelt apology on his behalf of himself for missing the penalty: “What I can tell fans, today, now that I have found the chance to say this on national TV, we are very sorry. We dreamt of going so far, but that is where God got us to.”

With a foresight for greater things, he urged fans not to give up on the team, promising that they will deliver better performances in the future.

“All plans belong to God, but we still keep the dreams alive. There are many games to come in the future; it is going to be so beautiful, and we will make fans dream again,” he added.

His final message was a plea for unity: “Do not give up on us, we will all be happy.”

The appearance was a direct effort to mend relations with supporters after the painful result and to rebuild faith in the national team's journey.