Boos roared all over Kasarani at fulltime as fans were devastated by Harambee Stars 1-0 loss to South Sudan. So how did the players perform individually?
After a solid display against Qatar that saw Harambee Stars run out 2-1 winners away, Kenya were brought back down to earth in a humbling manner when they lost 1-0 to South Sudan infront of quite a large number of hopeful Kenyan spectators.
The team just never got going after conceding an early goal courtesy of Tito Okello, much to the aghast of Kenyan fans who were all hopeful after seeing the side win in Qatar.
How did the players perform? Pulse Sports Kenya brings you our ratings of the players that played against South Sudan , and let us be honest, most of them deserve to look at themselves in the mirror after that performance.
Bryne Omondi- 6/10
Earning his fourth cap for Kenya, Bryne Omondi did not really have much to do after he conceded that goal early in the first half to South Sudan’s Tito Okello.
It did not help that Joseph Okumu mishit a back pass to him that left him in a very difficult situation. He generally looked assured with his distribution of the ball, but his performance was not worth anything more than a six.
Daniel Anyembe- 5/10
Earning his second full start for the country, the former Denmark u21 international tried to create overloads in midfield while also overlapping whenever possible. However, his performance was nothing more than okay. A standard five is awarded.
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20:26 - 12.09.2023
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Turkish coach Engin Firat laments unpaid wages while leading Kenya's national football team, despite government promises; struggles explaining situation to family.
Joseph Okumu- 4/10
Normally very assured both on and off the ball, Okumu made a horrendous mistake for the South Sudan goal when he mishit his pass intended for Bryne Omondi. On the ball, he often mishit his passes through the lines and struggled to replicate his impressive performance against Qatar five days ago.
He gets a four for his howler.
Brian Mandela- 6/10
Stepping in for Johnstone Omurwa who returned to his club in Portugal, Brian Mandela did okay and did not do anything wrong. His ball playing was not as efficient as Omurwa’s against Qatar, but he held his own.
Eric Ouma- 5/10
Eric Marcelo Ouma had a bad day in the office. After a brilliant game against Qatar, Marcelo was often forced to cut inside with the ball rather than run with the ball down the left flank like he does for his club.
Defensively, his pace enabled him to recover quickly when caught out of possession, but it is a game he will want to forget quickly.
Richard Odada- 8/10
Richard Odada is the only Kenyan player who left Kasarani Stadium with his head held high. He produced a complete performance on and off the ball. Off the ball, he was strong but on the ball, he is the one player that tried to get it moving forward. He made line-breaking passes that could have given Sudan problems but did not. He is proving to be a very reliable player for stars in the base.
Teddy Akumu- 5/10
Teddy Akumu had a frankly average display. Did not stand out at all and struggled to replicate his display against Qatar. He got subbed off for Moses Shummah as Firat looked for answers to equalize.
Kenneth Muguna-4/10
Kenneth Muguna was the one player that looked lost all game. He never provided options between the lines in the creative role and his set piece deliveries were nothing short of abysmal on the day. Firat subbed him off for Duke Abuya shortly after the hour mark, epitomizing his anonymous display.
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18:00 - 12.09.2023
FOOTBALL Harambee Stars brought down to earth as South Sudan secure maiden win over Kenya
The Harambee Stars had a poor performance in an international friendly against South Sudan, played at the Moi International Stadium in Kasarani on Tuesday.
Michael Olunga- 6/10
Michael Olunga was profligate in front of goal in the afternoon for the Harambee Stars. He missed a glorious chance to equalize in the second half when he found himself one on one with the keeper, but took too many touches which allowed the Sudan defense to recover quickly.
However, he impressed with his back to goal hold up and link up play, which got the wingers into the game on numerous occasions.
Masud Juma- 4/10
Masud Juma was another player who epitomized the underwhelming result on the afternoon. He constantly miscontrolled the ball every time he received it and when he found himself one on one with the defenders, struggled to get past his man.
He received one excellent pass from Odada in the early stages of the second half, but miscontrolled it when Kenya had a good chance of equalizing the match. He was subbed off for Clarke Oduor after picking up an injury.
Elvis Rupia- 3/10
Starting on the right wing, Elvis Rupia looked as puzzled on the pitch as the fans when they saw him starting as a winger against South Sudan.
He never made any impact whatsoever, and was quickly subbed off in the second half for Amos Nondi.
Amos Nondi- 6/10
The former Gor Mahia midfielder did not manage to repeat his goalscoring heroics from the Qatar match, but did quite okay when he came on. He made one dangerous cross after a good one-two with Duke Abuya which caused confusion in the South Sudan box.
Duke Abuya- 6/10
Duke Abuya managed to do what Kenneth Muguna never did against South Sudan : receiving the ball between the lines and making himself available on a couple of occasions.
However, even he could not unlock the stubborn South Sudanese lowblock and deserves nothing more than a 6
Clarke Oduor-2/10
Clarke Oduor came on as a substitute but was then quickly substituted again after an underwhelming spell on the pitch. He just never got going when tested on that wing.
Moses Shummah-N/A
The Kakamega Homeboyz striker came on as a sub but did not have enough time to change the outcome of the match.
Timothy Ouma- N/A
Coming on for Oduor, Ouma did not have enough time to change the outcome of the match.
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11:00 - 12.09.2023
Olunga's battle cry: "Past glories won't win today's game!"
Michael Olunga urges Harambee Stars to stay focused on upcoming South Sudan match, emphasizing the present over past successes.
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