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Five things we learnt from Harambee Stars' underwhelming 0-0 draw against Zimbabwe on Friday.
Kenya's journey toward qualifying for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco began on a sour note as Harambee Stars were held to a frustrating 0-0 draw by Zimbabwe's Warriors in their Group J opener at the Nelson Mandela Stadium in Namboole, Uganda.
The match, played on Friday, left Kenyan fans disappointed, as coach Engin Firat’s men failed to secure the crucial three points they had hoped to ignite their campaign.
The draw leaves Kenya with just one point, a far cry from the kind of start needed to replicate their 2019 success when they reached the continental finals in Egypt.
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20:39 - 06.09.2024
Harambee Stars player ratings: How they performed in disappointing result against Zimbabwe
Harambee Stars struggled to capitalize on their dominance in a 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier played at Nelson Mandela Stadium in Kampala.
Forced to host the match in Uganda due to the lack of FIFA-accredited facilities in Kenya, Firat’s team struggled to impose themselves against a determined Zimbabwean side. Here are five key takeaways from the match.
1. Kenya’s low block struggles continue
Kenya’s struggles against teams that sit deep continued against Zimbabwe, with the side struggling to create many goal scoring opportunities, particularly in the first half.
Firat’s charges could not string two three passes together. Every time they tried to combine with each other, they were easily robbed off the possession of the ball.
They tried resorting to using long balls from the back through the likes of Joseph Okumu and goalkeeper Byrne Omondi, but most times, they were wayward or miscontrolled by the receivers, in this case, Austin Odhiambo and Rooney Onyango as wingers and Eric Johana and Duke Abuya as twin false number nines.
The side are clearly at its best as a counter-attacking team that sits back and then hits on the break. It is interesting to see how they fare against Namibia in South Africa on Tuesday, another team that is difficult to break down.
2. Engin Firat overelies on certain players
The match against Zimbabwe highlighted Firat’s heavy reliance on certain key players, and their absence in this fixture proved costly. The likes of Daniel Anyembe, Johnstone Omurwa, Ayub Timbe, and particularly captain Michael Olunga, were sorely missed.
Without Olunga, Firat opted for an unconventional setup, using two false number nines—Eric Johana and Duke Abuya—up front. The move did not bear fruit, as the two forwards struggled to make an impact.
Firat has often emphasized the importance of wingers who can create one-on-one situations and use their pace to open up space for Olunga. This strategy was apparent during the Four Nations Tournament in Malawi earlier this year.
However, with Olunga absent and Firat unwilling to trust more natural center forwards like Benson Omala or Jonah Ayunga, Kenya lacked a focal point in attack.
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3. Uganda’s Nelson Mandela Stadium impresses
Despite the frustrations on the field, one bright spot from the game was the excellent playing conditions at Uganda’s Nelson Mandela Stadium.
The pitch was in superb shape, meeting the high standards required for major international tournaments like the Africa Cup of Nations.
"Uganda are already preparing for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations," Firat observed, clearly impressed by the stadium facilities. Last year, Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania were awarded joint hosting rights for the 2027 AFCON after their "Pamoja Bid" was approved by CAF.
Firat expressed his admiration for the venue, saying, "We thank FUFA and the Ugandan people for being good hosts. The conditions here are good, and the field is superb. We can only dream of such in Kenya. I see Uganda are ready for AFCON. We are very far from this."
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3. Uganda’s Nelson Mandela Stadium is top notch
Firat opted to start upfront with two false number nines in the absence of Olunga, with Johana and Duke Abuya leading the team from the front.
It was an experiment that failed to pay off. The two looked isolated particularly in the first half, and were losing most of the aerial contests.
For some reason, their teammates tried to find them with long balls despite the fact that they are not target men and prefer receiving the ball to feet.
Even when they resorted to working the ball in the box, their hold up play was not efficient, and they constantly turned over possession exposing themselves on the counter attack, which is how Zimbabwe created their chances which were more clear-cut.
In the end, Firat brought on John Avire in the 67th minute, and even though it brought more cohesion, it ultimately never made them find the back of the net.
5. Austin & Marcelo show encouraging signs linking up
Even though the team struggled the whole afternoon, Austin Odhiambo and Erick ‘Marcelo’ Ouma were encouraging, linking up the left particularly in the second half.
Austin Odhiambo, a natural number 10, was played as a wide playmaker, so his natural inclination was to drift narrow on most occasions in possession,
When he got the ball, he tried to drift inside which allowed Marcelo to overlap him, and it even almost led to a goal when the Poland-based left back got on the end of an excellent pass by the Gor Mahia man, but he hit the ball straight at the keeper.
If they keep on playing together, they may form a telepathic relationship which will only benefit the side moving forward.
Kenya's qualification campaign is far from over, but this disappointing draw leaves them with work to do in their upcoming matches.
As they prepare to face Namibia in their next Group J fixture, Firat and his squad will need to regroup and find a way to unlock defenses, especially if they are to stand any chance of reaching AFCON 2025 in Morocco.
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