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Harambee Stars will face the Gambia in a 2026 World Cup qualifier in June and after watching their opening AFCON 2023 defeat to Senegal, what can Kenya learn?
On Monday afternoon, Senegal brushed aside the Gambia 3-0 in their opening AFCON Group C clash to put them top.
This has left the Gambia in a sort of limbo, having now lost their last three games on the bounce if you want to include their opening two Group F World Cup qualifying losses to Burundi and Ivory Coast last November.
Gambia are not out of the competition as they still have two more games to play to get out of their group and try to replicate their achievement in the 2021 edition, when they reached the quarter-finals on their debut campaign, but their loss would surely have given Harambee Stars coach Engin Firat something to think about when Kenya meet them in June.
Here are three things we noticed from their loss:
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Pace on the flanks
The Gambia have a lot of pace on the flanks that actually did give Senegal a headache trying to deal with, Yankubah Minteh and Musa Barrow giving Senegal several headaches particularly in the second half.
Minte was constantly taking advantage of the gap that wide right Senegal defender Kalidou Koulibaly and right wing back Kephrem Diatta were leaving and creating inroads down that side.
Even though they conceded 12 shots with five on target, the Gambia themselves also created 10, with two on target and most were attempted cut backs from the wingers towards late runners.
Ahead of their fixture in June in Nairobi, the Kenyans will have to think of ways to shut down this potency.
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Concentration lapses
The Gambia lost concentration for all the three goals they conceded, illustrated by the fact they conceded after just four minutes when four of their players naively tried to close down Sadio Mane which left space in the middle that Pape Gueye took full advantage of to score the opening goal.
The second goal was another good situation of failing to properly make themselves aware that Senegal midfielders intended to occupy spaces.
Koulibaly passed the ball to Ismaila Sarr who had drifted inside before he laid it off to Lamine Kamara who slotted the ball home.
Their defensive shape was decent as they sought to defend in a 4-4-1 shape after Ebou Adams had been dismissed, reducing them to 10 men, but their poor marking due to their concentration levels let them down time and again.
There is also the issue of carelessness. Adams was sent off for an unnecessary off the ball challenge on Lamine Camara when he stepped on his right achilles with his studs.
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Physically overwhelmed by Senegal
The Gambia simply could not match up to Senegal’s physicality as they constantly found themselves being bodied by their players even when trying to close down players that could be a threat with the ball at their feet.
Although Senegal were always going to impose themselves physically, the Gambia, despite having a host of players who have played in physically demanding leagues such as Serie A, still could not find a way to evade the problem.
Firat has famously insisted that he is looking for physically capable players to help progress his team, and it will be a perfect opportunity to see how his team will be able to bully the Gambia.
Over to you, Firat.
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