Harambee Stars Coach Unsatisfied as Standards Fall Short Despite 4-0 Win Over Lesotho

Harambee Stars assistant coach Vasili Manousakis praised his players following their emphatic 4-0 victory over Lesotho in the June international friendlies but insisted there is still room for improvement.

After being held to a 1-1 draw by the Crocodiles in the first encounter on Friday, June 5, the Kenyan side returned to the drawing board to address key shortcomings.

The adjustments paid off in the second meeting on Sunday, June 7, as Mohammed Bajaber and Lawrence Okoth each scored a brace in a dominant display.

Despite the convincing win, Manousakis maintained that the team fell short of fully executing the plans and standards discussed in the dressing room.

Speaking after the match, the coach explained that there was a clear shift in the team’s approach compared to their previous outing, noting that they had demanded greater organisation and adherence to the game plan throughout the match.

He said the players were instructed to be more efficient when opportunities arose in advanced areas, as the earlier match had been characterised by poor decision-making and a lack of precision in front of goal despite creating numerous openings.

Vasili Manousakis added that before even reaching the attacking phase, emphasis had been placed on improving control of the game through better structure in how the team held the ball and moved into space.

“I think there was a notable difference; we asked for more discipline. Tactically, we asked to be a little more clinical in the final third. We created a lot more chances in the first match, but we were wasteful, very wayward. It started with being a little more clinical with the chances we created, but even before that, we got the possession and positioning a little bit right,” the coach stated.

However, Vasili Manousakis noted that the team did not fully reach the level of intensity they had aimed for, but he felt there was still a satisfactory alignment with the expectations set before the match.

He explained that several players were playing for the national team for the first time, which naturally affected cohesion, but he was encouraged that their overall response remained close to the intended standard.

The Harambee Stars coach added that the fixture served as a valuable test against a well-organised and physically strong opponent who played with high energy and discipline, providing an important benchmark for the squad’s development.

“It was not quite the intensity we wanted to reach, but we had an expectation, and I think the guys were close enough today in the delivery of the performance. Some were playing together for the first time, and we wanted to play against a very well-structured Lesotho, physical, full of energy, and it gave us a lot of taste,” he added.

Looking ahead to the AFCON 2027 qualifiers in September, the coach said the team will not be burdened by external pressure and that the primary focus of the recent fixture was to assess players and give them exposure to international football.

He emphasised that while winning was one of the targets, the broader objective was to evaluate the squad and allow several players to gain valuable experience at this level.

“We now have to shift our focus to September, and we are not too concerned about any pressure on us. It’s a game that we wanted certain objectives; of course, we wanted to win, but we wanted to look at this group of players. We wanted them to have the experience of international football for the first time,” he added.