Harambee Stars found a solid start to the international break by beating the 2022 World Cup hosts.
Kenya defeated Qatar 2-1 in a friendly game on Thursday. A late winner from Amos Nondi ensured Harambee Stars’ victory.
What happened?
Both sides push for an early opener at Al Janoub Stadium, with Michael Olunga missing a golden chance to put the visitors ahead in the 13th minute.
Kenya, however, didn’t wait for too long to break the deadlock after Olunga’s missed opportunity. Only seven minutes later, a powerful header from Amos Nondi made it 1-0 for Kenya.
Qatar immediately started their efforts to get back into the game, finally finding the equalizer in the 34th minute. A penalty from Hassan Al-Haydos brought Qatar back into the game.
But the hosts failed to build on their momentum in the second half. Kenya established their dominance again after the break, creating several goalscoring chances down both flanks.
However, the Harambee Stars had to wait until the 91st minute to finally score the match-winner. A lightning-fast counter-attack saw Olunga rush into Qatar’s box before squaring a pass to Amos Nondi, who made it 2-1 with a cool finish.
Qatar vs Kenya: Man of the Match
Joseph Okumu made a phenomenal appearance for the Harambee Stars as they defeated Qatar 2-1. In addition to scoring Kenya’s first goal with a brilliant header, Okumu’s solid presence in defence prevented Qatar from mounting a comeback.
Player Ratings
Qatar: Barsham (6), Al-Rawi (6), Suhail (6), Salman (6), Ahmed (6), Fathy (6), Al-Haydos (6), Mashaal (6), Marafee (6), Abdurisag (6), Ali (6).
Bench: Zakaria (5), Khoukhi (7), Shehata (6), Waad (5), Hatem (6), Boudiaf (6), Alaaeldin (7), Afif (6), Miguel (7), Al-Ahrak (5), Ayman (6).
Kenya: Odhiambo (6), Anyembe (6), Okumu (6), Omurwa (6), Otieno (6), Choka (6), Odada (6), Muguna (6), Akumu (6), Rupia (6), Olunga (6).
Bench: Masika (5), Nondi (7), Abuya (5), Onyago (-).
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