Harambee Stars Fall to Equatorial Guinea in Friendly Match

Benni McCarthy’s Harambee Stars experienced a narrow 1-0 defeat to Equatorial Guinea during an international friendly match held at the Emir Complex in Turkey on Friday.

Entering the match with two victories in their last five outings, the Harambee Stars struggled to capitalize on their scoring opportunities despite generating several chances.

The team’s most promising opportunity came in the 15th minute when the industrious Jonah Ayunga was unable to convert after winning the ball in a favorable position. Ayunga played a crucial role again shortly after, combining with Ryan Ogam and Boniface Muchiri to create another chance, but Muchiri missed the target, squandering a great opportunity.

Just before halftime, Kenya conceded a penalty when Rooney Onyango fouled Josete Miranda of Equatorial Guinea. Miranda successfully converted the penalty, giving his team the lead.

In the 66th minute, Austin Odhiambo missed another clear chance for Kenya. Positioned well by Onyango, Odhiambo’s shot went wide of the goal.

Despite displaying increased determination in the second half, the Harambee Stars were unable to mount a comeback, resulting in a defeat.

This match marked the first encounter between the East African team and their Central African counterparts since May 28, 2018, when Harambee Stars claimed a 1-0 victory thanks to a goal from Piston Mutamba. Mike Kibwage from Gor Mahia was the only player who participated in both matches.

In naming his squad for the friendlies, McCarthy made the controversial decision to omit Harambee Stars’ captain, Olunga, who is recognized as Kenya’s top player and has scored 34 goals for the national team—just one goal shy of the all-time record held by William ‘Chege’ Ouma. Conversely, McCarthy included the highly regarded left-back, Kevin Otiende of Nairobi United, who made his debut in this match.

These friendly games are designed to help McCarthy fine-tune his players in preparation for the 2027 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals. Kenya will not participate in the upcoming 2025 AFCON finals, scheduled to take place in Morocco, after failing to qualify. Additionally, they did not secure a spot in the 2026 World Cup finals, thus focusing primarily on the 2027 AFCON, which they will co-host with Uganda and Tanzania.

For Equatorial Guinea, the friendly against Kenya serves as a crucial part of their preparations for the AFCON tournament in Morocco, where they will compete in Group E alongside Algeria, Burkina Faso, and Sudan. Their campaign kicks off against Burkina Faso on December 24, followed by matches against Sudan on December 28 and Algeria on December 31.

Looking ahead, Kenya will face Senegal on November 18 at Mardan Stadium, with kickoff scheduled for 18:00 EAT. This match represents a critical opportunity for McCarthy to secure a victory and alleviate the pressure surrounding his leadership.