NAIROBI, Kenya, January 4, 2025 – Harambee Stars began their Mapinduzi Cup campaign with a 1-1 draw against Burkina Faso in a pulsating encounter at the Gombani Stadium in Zanzibar on Saturday night.
Interim coach Francis Kimanzi named a starting XI majorly composed of debutants, with goalkeeper Bryne Omondi, captain Abud Omar, Daniel Sakari, Kenneth Muguna and Boniface Muchiri the only ones to have donned the national team jersey before.
The game came to life in added minutes of the first half, Stars drawing first blood courtesy of James Kinyanjui.
The Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) winger latched on to a freekick by Boniface Muchiri to put them ahead at the break.
However, the Burkinabe snatched a point from the jaws of defeat at the last minute, equalising to ensure both teams share the spoils.
Stars next face Tanzania in their second encounter of the round-robin tourney at the same venue on Tuesday.
The Kilimanjaro Stars will be raging for redemption following their 1-0 loss to the hosts in the opener on Friday.
Fei Toto scored the only goal in the 51st minute, capitalising on a lapse in concentration in their peer’s defence to slot home.
