NAIROBI, Kenya, November 19 – Harambee Stars wound up their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers on a whimper, drawing 0-0 with Namibia at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane, South Africa on Tuesday evening.
Both teams had already kissed their qualification hopes goodbye, with nothing left to fight for except pride.
Coach Engin Firat’s side began brightly, knitting neat passes in the middle of the park although they lacked penetration going forward.
Stand-in no. 9 Alfred Scriven – who had replaced captain Michael Olunga in the starting XI – cut a frustrated figure upfront as nothing of note came his way in form of goalscoring chances.
Portugal-based forward Johnstone Omurwa had Stars’ best chance, heading wide of the goal from a freekick from the right wing.
The Brave Warriors were the better side in the second half, often playing more of ground balls as opposed to the scrappy style of their Kenyan opponents.
They almost took the lead midway through the second half when Elmo Kambindu almost headed past Bryne Omondi in Stars goal before the Bandari custodian smothered the ball and neutered the threat.
Omondi had to be hawkeyed in the dying embers of the game to parry out a freekick by Menelik Tjiueza, which was destined for the top right corner.
Stars’ best chance in the half came from substitute Daniel Sakari whose header from Erick ‘Marcelo’ Ouma’s cross deflected off a defender from a corner.
With the result, Firat’s boys wrap up their campaign in third place in Group J with six points whereas the Namibians remain slumped at the bottom with two.
Five-time continental champions Cameroon beat Zimbabwe 2-1 in the other encounter in Yaounde to top the group with 14 points – although both sides had already secured qualification.
Kenya will now turn their attention to their 2026 World Cup qualification to which they return to action against Gambia in September next year.
Till then, questions will continue to swirl over the future of Kenyan football as well as that of Firat.
