Harambee Stars opened their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualification campaign with a 1-1 draw against Eritrea on Saturday, September 26, as Group D action got underway.
The results come as South Africa defeated Guinea 2-1 in the other Group D fixture, leaving the two sides with an early advantage in the race for the group’s qualifying place.
Kenya hosted the Red Sea Camels at the Nyayo National Stadium in a match that gave Benni McCarthy’s side a chance to test themselves against competitive opposition despite already securing their place at the 2027 AFCON as hosts.
Eritrea, meanwhile, were looking to make a strong start to their qualification campaign and came away with a point after taking the lead before Ryan Ogam’s second-half equaliser.
Kenya’s place at the 2027 AFCON is guaranteed regardless of their results in the qualifiers.
The qualification campaign will determine which of the other teams in Group D joins Kenya at the tournament, with the highest-ranked side among South Africa, Guinea and Eritrea securing the remaining ticket.
Kenya vs Eritrea Live Updates
5:52 PM: Kenya vs Eritrea ends in a draw
Kenya 1-1 Eritrea
5:47 PM: GOAL! Ryan Ogam scores for Harambee Stars to make it 1-1.
5:45 PM: Duke Abuya misses a chance to score.
5:43 PM: Corner kick for Harambee Stars, but it yields nothing.
5:42 PM: Shariff Musa misses a chance.
5:38 PM: Eritrea and Harambee Stars make substitutions.
5:36 PM: Moghamed Bajaber misses a one-on-one chance.
5:34 PM: Free kick for Harambee Stars.
5:27 PM: Eritrea’s Fors is shown a yellow card.
5:26 PM: Omondi makes a save.
5:24 PM: Harambee Stars make their first substitution. Job Ochieng’ comes off, with Stanley Wilson coming on.
5:23 PM: Kenya have registered 16 shots, compared with Eritrea’s five.
5:16 PM: Manzur Okwaro is shown a yellow card for a reckless tackle.
5:16 PM: Kenya are awarded a foul, with Abud Omar taking the free kick.
5:14 PM: Harambee Stars are awarded a corner, but it yields nothing as an Eritrea defender clears the ball from a dangerous area.
5:13 PM: Timothy Ouma takes a free kick.
5:11 PM: Foul for Kenya.
5:11 PM: Eritrea’s Victor Lars is shown a yellow card for tripping.
5:09 PM: Girmai misses a big chance.
5:01 PM: The referee blows the whistle to signal the start of the second half.
Half-Time Stats: Kenya 0-1 Eritrea
| Stat | Kenya | Eritrea |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 63% | 37% |
| Expected goals (xG) | 1.16 | 0.31 |
| Total shots | 14 | 3 |
| Shots on target | 2 | 2 |
| Shots off target | 8 | 0 |
| Big chances | 2 | 0 |
| Corners | 5 | 0 |
| Passes | 225/247 (91%) | 127/151 (84%) |
| Touches in opposition box | 25 | 3 |
| Fouls | 7 | 2 |
4:45 PM: Three minutes of added time are indicated.
4:37 PM: GOAL! Noham Girmai scores for Eritrea, assisted by Sulieman.
Kenya 0-1 Eritrea
4:29 PM: Onyango is shown a yellow card.
4:26 PM: Abud Omar is fouled.
4:25 PM: Ryan Ogam misses another big chance.
4:23 PM: Eritrea are awarded a foul.
4:21 PM: Eritrea’s Teklegzi is fouled.
4:16 PM: Foul for Eritrea.
4:15 PM — Match Statistics
- Possession: Kenya 49% – 51% Eritrea
- Big chances: Kenya 1 – 0 Eritrea
- Touches in opposition box: Kenya 8 – 0 Eritrea
- Total shots: Kenya 5 – 0 Eritrea
- Shots off target: Kenya 2 – 0 Eritrea
4:11 PM: Ryan Ogam misses a chance.
4:08 PM: Kenya 0-0 Eritrea.
4:06 PM: Corner kick for Harambee Stars.
4:00 PM: The Kenya vs Eritrea match kicks off.
Harambee Stars Starting XI vs Eritrea
Eritrea lineup
Eritrea Starting XI
Eritrea will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation against Harambee Stars.
Goalkeeper
- 1 Yonathan Sultan
Defenders
- 25 Victor Lars
- 14 Namrud Embaye
- 3 Jonas Ibrahim
- 4 Ali Jemal
Midfielders
- 20 Nahom Girmai Netabay
- 7 Filmon Gebregzabihier
- 19 Yohannes Esrom Mussie
- 10 Ali Sulieman
- 8 Ablelom Teklezgi
Forward
- 9 Tesfaldet Tekie
Eritrea Substitutes
- 12 Yoel Kebreab
- 2 Mussie Beraky
- 5 Nahom Tadese Mekonen
- 11 Romel Abdu Mahmud
- 16 Henos Asmelash
- 17 Fahmi Ibrahim
- 18 Yoel Yilma
- 23 Maill Lundgren
- 26 Awet Alemseged
- 30 Issac Abusolomon Ayaya
- 31 Yonatan Sebhatu
- 33 Yosief Misgina
Also Read: Benni McCarthy Explains Why Michael Olunga Will Not Feature Against Eritrea
Kenya’s recent form
Harambee Stars head into the match after mixed results in their June friendly fixtures.
Kenya drew 1-1 with Lesotho before recording a 4-0 victory in the second leg.
However, preparations for the Eritrea match were disrupted by a player strike over unpaid allowances from the summer fixtures.
The Ministry of Sports resolved the dispute 48 hours before the match, leaving the team with limited time to prepare for the qualifier.
McCarthy will now be looking to assess his squad’s match fitness while working on the tactics and playing style he wants to use ahead of the AFCON tournament next year.
Eritrea looking to cause another upset
Eritrea arrive in Nairobi after progressing from the preliminary round against Eswatini.
The Red Sea Camels have also drawn attention to their diaspora-based players, who played a role in their recent success.
Eritrea will also take confidence from their previous meetings with Kenya.
The two teams last met in the CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup in December 2019, when Eritrea defeated Kenya 4-1.
Their previous AFCON qualifying meetings also went Eritrea’s way.
Eritrea beat Kenya 1-0 in June 2007 after winning the first meeting 2-1 in September 2006.
Harambee Stars will therefore be seeking a different result when the two sides meet in the latest Group D encounter.
Also Read: Benni McCarthy Reveals Why He Does Not Stay in Kenya
Kenya vs Eritrea Head-to-Head
December 17, 2019: Kenya 1-4 Eritrea
June 16, 2007: Eritrea 1-0 Kenya
September 2, 2006: Kenya 1-2 Eritrea
Harambee Stars AFCON Qualifier Final Squad
The Football Federation named a 14-player Harambee Stars squad for the AFCON 2027 qualifiers, with players drawn from clubs in Kenya and abroad.
Goalkeepers
- Byrne Omondi — Gor Mahia
- Faruk Shikhalo — Nairobi United
- Brian Bwire — Tusker
Defenders
- Michael Kibwage — Gor Mahia
- Rooney Onyango — Sogndal
- Hannif Wesonga — Jamus
- Stanley Wilson — AIK
- Abud Omar — Tusker
- Amos Wanjala — Valencia
- Frank Odhiambo — Gor Mahia
- Vincent Harper — Exeter City
Midfielders
- Manzur Okwara — Stade Reims
- Timothy Ouma — Chariton Athletic
- Chris Erambo — Tusker
- Duke Abuya — Yanga
- Marvin Nabwire — Power Dynamos
Forwards
- Sharif Musa — Gor Mahia
- Mohammed Bajaber — Unattached
- Ben Stanley — Gor Mahia
- Job Ochieng — Real Sociedad
- Javan Ochieng — Hickory FC
- Micah Obiero — Carlisle United
- Ryan Ogam — RFC Liège
- Michael Olunga — Al-Arabi
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