NAIROBI, Kenya, March 27, 2026 – Harambee Stars bowed out of the Fifa Global Series after losing 5-4 on post-match penalties to Estonia at the Amahoro Stadium in Kigali on Friday night.
The match was deadlocked at 1-1 after 90 minutes, Benni McCarthy’s men doing well to recover from a flat performance in the first half to a dominant one in the last 45.
Tanel Tammik had put the Estonians in the lead after 20 minutes, heading powerfully into the right bottom corner from from a corner kick.
Harambee Stars then suffered an early blow after Real Sociedad youngster Job Ochieng’ pulled up with an injury, to be replaced by Ben Stanley Omondi.
Ryan Ogam then fired directly at Karl Andre Valner but the Estonian keeper did well to parry it away to safety.
The Kenyans came back a different side in the second half, stringing short passes and raiding their opponents on both flanks.
Their efforts were rewarded in the 50th minute when debutant Zech Obiero slid through a pass into the path of Ogam who lifted the ball over Valner into an empty net for the equaliser.
McCarthy’s men continued with their stranglehold on the proceedings but were unable to find a second.
Substitute Mohammed Bajaber attempted tap-in in the last minute was denied by the slightest of touches for a corner kick.
Another debutant Lawrence Okoth could have had a maiden appearance to remember but shot weakly and wide of the post after a cut-back from Omondi from the right wing.
Nervy shootout
Then came the dreaded penalty shootout where nerves and technique played a crucial role.
Stars keeper Ian Otieno did well to save Ioan Yakovlev’s spotkick after Michael Schjonning-Larsen had scored Estonia’s first kick.
However, Stars second kicker, Bajaber, similarly shot straight at Valner to level matters.
With both sides successfully converting their next four spotkicks, it was left to the last two takers to tilt the scales in either team’s favour.
Markus Soomets duly converted albeit Otieno got his fingertips on the shot.
Unfortunately, an ill-timed panenka from Richard Odada skied over the bar to hand victory to the Estonians and confirm their place in the finals.
They will now await the winner between Rwanda and Grenada ahead of Monday’s final at the same venue.
