South Sudan national team came from behind to grab a point against Harambee Stars in the return leg of the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN) qualifiers.
Harambee Stars opened the scoring in the tenth minute after the skipper of the day, midfield maestro Austin Odhiambo found the back of the net.
However, Engin Firat’s charges gave away their lead in the 43rd minute when Bright Stars levelled.
Despite a spirited fight from Harambee Star’s side in the game which was played at the Mandela National Stadium in Namboole, Uganda, they settled for a 1-1 draw at the full-time whistle.
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— Harambee Stars (@Harambee__Stars) November 3, 2024
🇰🇪 1-1 🇸🇸#HarambeeStars pic.twitter.com/687qdxQY7e
Kenya exits
Following the draw, Kenya has exited the 2025 CHAN qualifier and South Sudan will now face Rwanda in the last hurdle with the winner on aggregate securing a ticket to the tournament set to run between February 1, 2025, to February 28, 2025.
Despite the lacklustre performance, Harambee Stars will take part in the 2024 CHAN competition courtesy of being hosts alongside Uganda and Tanzania.
Before the match, Firat had freshened up his side by calling 11 new players while axing 13 others. The Turkish gaffer noted that the decision was to allow other players to showcase their talent ahead of CHAN competitions next year.
In their previous encounter with South Sudan, Firat boys went down 2-0. Despite assurances that their ticket to the main tournament would be secure, head coach Firat’s squad was visibly outmatched by the Bright Stars, who capitalized on their momentum and home advantage.
South Sudan broke through in the second half with two quick goals from Ezibon Malish and Yohanna Paulino, sealing the victory and putting Kenya’s hopes in jeopardy.
The loss marked Kenya’s second defeat to South Sudan within a year. The defeat raised concerns as South Sudan is ranked 66 places below Kenya.
