Kenya’s Harambee Stars held African giants Ivory Coast to a goalless draw in a 2026 World Cup Qualifying game staged in Malawi on Tuesday 11th June 2024.
While many expected it to be a one-sided affair, Stars were to begin the game in a good fashion with Anthony Akumu, Richard Odada and Kenneth Muguna conducting their duties well in a midfield that had the likes of former AC Milan midfielder Franck Kessie.
Stars were happy to sit back and break on the counter-attack an execution that they did well but fell short each time they were on the counter-attack mostly because they was no second player to give supporting to the breaking player.
There were not any clear-cut chances in the first half for both sides as the keeper rarely made saves except at the end of the first half when keeper Patrick Matasi was forced to make a brilliant save from a free kick just at the edge of the box.
The second half started in the same fashion as the first and with Ivory Coast looking to take a breakthrough, they were to throw in Evan Guessand for Emmanuel Latte with Oumar Diakite coming on for Jeremie Boga who had been kept at bay by Abud Omar.
It was Stars however who had a glorious chance of breaking the deadlock just minutes after Duke Abuya had been introduced for Muguna. A quick counterattack saw captain Michael Olunga square the ball to the onrushing Timothy Ouma who had only the goalkeeper to beat but the Sweden-based winger took time to pull the trigger before the hosts recovered to clear the danger.
Ouma was to be replaced by Chrispine Erambo with Clyde Senaji coming late on to replace Richard Odada as Stars saw the game off with a draw that will forever remain the minds of Kenyan football lovers.
