Hammamet — Mamour Diagne starred with a well worked hattrick as defending champions Senegal hit Kenya's Harambee Sand Stars for 12 in their opening match at the second edition of the Africa Beach Games in Tunisia on Tuesday evening.
Stars coach Ali Kinero admitted that the team suffered from stage fright and this led to their capitulation, but has promised they will regroup quick and refocus ahead of their second group game against neighbors Tanzania on Wednesday morning.
"We have a very young squad and probably the stage fright of playing a big team got into them. We played with a bit of fear and restraint. But we have learnt and we take it in our stride to do better in the next match," the coach said.
Skipper Farid Bwana, who scored Kenya's consolation admitted as much, but has vowed the team will do their best against Tanzania to keep their chances of making the semis alive.
"It was a tough game today because we played against a very experienced team who are the African champions. We have to give them respect because they have been in this game for longer than us and they have played at the biggest stages," said Bwana.
He added; "As a team we gave in the best we could but we were not perfect in many aspects of the game. We aim to improve this ahead of our next match. We want to win that game and we are confident because we have played Tanzania a few times before and have won"
Raoul Mendy and Diagne gave Senegal a 2-0 lead after seven minutes, the latter scoring a brilliant overhead kick after they finally settled in the game. Serigne Moctar Koite took them 3-0 at the end of the first period with another brilliant overhead kick.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
Kenya's only shot on target in the first half was via a Paul Kavula shot that was punched away by the keeper.
In the second period, Senegal were off to a good start with Diagne scoring a quick brace before Seyduna Diagne added the sixth goal.
Aswar Shamuni had a brilliant one on one chance to score Kenya's first goal but he fluffed his lines, and the African champions launched a counter with a quick punish, Jean Alpha Diouf finding the back of the net.
Senegal continued to dominate and stretched their lead to 10-0 in the third period before skipper Bwana squeezed in a shot from the left for Kenya's consolation.
Substitute keeper Ousseynou Faye then made it 11-1 with a speculative shot from his goal area before Diouf's freekick from distance wrapped up the win for Senegal.
Kenya will now switch their attention to a vital second group match against neighbors Tanzania on Wednesday morning, a game they must win to keep their knockout hopes alive.
