Kenya end Nations Cup qualifiers journey with draw in Zambia

What you need to know:

  • Stars failed to guard their lines with barely six minutes left allowing Rainford Kalaba to beat Boniface Oluoch at his near post from the box.
  • Uganda Cranes ended their torturous 39-year await to grace the Africa Cup of Nations finals beating Comoros 1-0 at the Nelson Mandela Stadium to earn the Group D ticket.
  • The Stars were shaky in the early stages with the Zambians probing at goal but Oluoch stood firm.

Harambee Stars ended their disappointing Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers journey with a 1-1 draw against hosts Zambia at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola on Sunday.

Dynamic Belgium-based winger Ayub Timbe, who plies his trade with Lierse got on the end of Victor Wanyama’s long ball to plant the ball home with the outside of his foot in the 63rd minute.

Wanyama lashed the ball forward and Timbe sprinted to beat Adrian Chama and with Zambian goalie Jacob Banda advancing for a challenge, Timbe made a swift decision to delicately lob in.

However, the Stars failed to guard their lines with barely six minutes left allowing Rainford Kalaba to beat Boniface Oluoch at his near post from the box.

Across the borders, Uganda Cranes ended their torturous 39-year await to grace the Africa Cup of Nations finals beating Comoros 1-0 at the Nelson Mandela Stadium to earn the Group D ticket.

Farouk Miya scored the history making goal in the 34th minute to spark off long and wild celebrations in Kampala.

In Ndola, Stars coach Stanley Okumbi tinkered with the usual 4-4-2 formation switching to a 4-2-3-1 where Brian Mandela, David Owino, Aboud Omar and Musa Mohamed manned the defence while skipper Wanyama and Anthony Akumu screened the back-four.

LONE STRIKER

Erick Ouma, Timbe and Eric Johana claimed the advanced three midfield roles allowing Jesse Were, who plies his trade with Zesco United in the Zambian Premier League to roam forward as the lone striker.

The Stars were shaky in the early stages with the Zambians probing at goal but Oluoch stood firm.

Okumbi’s charges have also been bundled out of the 2018 World Cup qualifiers after falling 2-1 to Cape Verde in the preliminaries and will now be thrust in the international football limbo  until late next year when the qualifiers for the 2019 Afcon begins.

The Stars, under former coach, Scot Bobby Williamson, had begun their quest rather impressively holding Congo’s Red Devils to a one-all- draw away in June 14 last year.

However, like the proverbial house built on quick sand, their campaign fell flat in subsequent matches as they lost  2-1 at home to Zambia three months later at the Nyayo National Stadium before falling to identical 1-0 defeats to tiny Guinea Bissau, which extinguished their faint hopes of making it to Gabon in January  for the continental showpiece.

New coach Okumbi has said he is on a rebuilding process and will lay emphasis on youth at he looks ahead to the next qualifiers.