Toothless Harambee Stars Foiled by Rwanda to Remain Winless in Three Matches

Harambee Stars failed to win a third consecutive match following a goalless draw with Rwanda in a friendly match in Kigali on Monday.

Kenya, who were coming into the match after a 1-0 loss to Guinea and a 1-1 draw with Eritrea in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, were looking to end their international assignments on a winning note.

However, a host of wasted opportunities saw them miss the chance to secure a victory. Coach Benni McCarthy made five changes to the squad that lost to Guinea last week in a bid to give minutes to some of the players who had not been involved.

Those changes added impetus in Kenya’s game as they had the better chances in the first half with youngster Stanley Wilson among those who impressed.

The AIK star had an opportunity in the 26th minute which went begging before coming close 12 minutes later when he made a good run into the box only to fire over the bar.

Kenya’s best opportunity in the first half came four minutes from the break. Against the run play, Manzur Okwaro got into the box and unleashed a shot but the Rwanda goalkeeper punched it out.

The ball fell to Ryan Ogam in the box but the striker somehow failed to find the target from close range.

Harambee Stars ended the first half as the better team with 54% possession, having managed five attempts, two on target, while Rwanda had four attempts, a couple on target, from their 46% possession.

After the break, Rwanda were the better team as they made inroads into the Kenyan box but they were also let down by poor finishing and decision making.

Harambee Stars goalkeeper Farouk Shikalo was also forced into a fine save in the 53rd minute before Kenya suffered a setback when captain Aboud Omar was stretchered off after sustaining an injury.

There were no further opportunities from both sides as they shared the spoils at Amahoro Stadium whose pitch left a lot to be desired.