Kenya’s Harambee Stars will return to action today when they face Namibia in their second Group J match of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers at Orlando Stadium in South Africa.
Harambee Stars, under head coach Engin Firat, kicked off their campaign with a lacklustre 0-0 home draw against Zimbabwe at the Stade Nelson Mandela Stadium in Kampala on Friday, September 6.
On the other hand, the Brave Warriors began their quest to qualify for the 35th edition of the African tournament, to be held in Morocco, with a 1-0 defeat against Cameroon at Roumde Adjia Stadium in Garoua, Cameroon.
This matchday two fixture provides an opportunity for either Harambee Stars or the Brave Warriors to secure their first win of the campaign.
Mounting pressure
Kenya’s coach, Firat, is already under pressure after his team selection was questioned by many Kenyans following the Zimbabwe stalemate.
In the absence of injured lead striker Michael Olunga, Firat fielded two midfielders—Duke Abuya and Eric Johana—in attacking roles, leaving out strikers Jonah Ayunga, Benson Omalla and John Avire.
Avire eventually came on in the 68th minute to replace Johana.
Firat will need to focus more on the striking force, which was the main weakness against Zimbabwe. With Olunga set to miss his second consecutive game due to injury, the Turkish tactician will likely deploy an outright striker for the match against Namibia.
Ayunga, who plays for St. Mirren in the Scottish Premiership, could make his debut and partner with Omalla, last season’s FKF Premier League top scorer with 19 goals for reigning champions Gor Mahia.
These attacking changes could help Harambee Stars push for goals, a key area they struggled with against Zimbabwe, where they only managed two shots on target.
Firat also opted to start Bandari goalkeeper Bryne Omondi, relegating Patrick Matasi of Kenya Police to the bench.
Omondi appeared shaky during the game and could have cost Kenya two goals. Matasi may regain his starting position, as he has the experience needed for high-level matches.
In defence, Firat could stick with the backline that featured against Zimbabwe: Gor Mahia duo Alphonse Omija and Sylvester Owino, alongside Reims defender Joseph Okumu and Eric ‘Marcelo’ Ouma.
Hopeful Firat
Despite the draw in Kampala, Firat remained optimistic about Kenya’s qualification chances. “I have no issue with the result of the game.
I know nothing has changed in our quest to qualify for Afcon. The dream is still alive, and we will make sure we achieve it by the end of the group matches,” Firat stated, as quoted by Flashscore.
“We wanted a strong start. My players did everything we planned, things worked well in many areas, but the aggressiveness was the only thing missing.”
However, Firat should be cautious of a Namibia side that pushed Cameroon to the limit, only conceding in the 65th minute to a Vincent Aboubakar strike.
Namibian striker Peter Shalulile, who plays for PSL champions Mamelodi Sundowns, was impressive against the Indomitable Lions and will be a key player for Kenyan defenders to watch.
Other notable players in the Namibia squad, coached by Collin Benjamin, include Orlando Pirates midfielder Deon Hotto and goalkeeper Edward Maova, who plays for Golden Arrows.
