Bright Stars bag unexpected win at Kasarani

South Sudan stunned the Harambee stars 1-0 in a friendly played at Moi International Sports Centre Kasarani. Tito Okello scored the lone goal of the game in the second minute. The Kenya Police FC striker did what we locally call ' alichoma shule' by scoring in familiar grounds much to the annoyance of local football fans. 

Football fans had thronged the stadium bursting with expectation after the national team pulled off an impressive 2-1 victory away to Qatar. As easy as 12pm fans started trickling down singing and dancing the isukuti. The was a sense of patriotism. A belief that maybe this team would rejuvenate the love for local football. That the pride of putting on the national team jersey would be felt again. But typical of the Harambee stars they let us down again. 

The goal coming in so early in the game momentarily dampened the ardour around the ground. Kenya started extremely nervous. Joseph Okumu's horribly executed back pass in the second minute mirrored how Kenya started. In the 16th minute we were almost caught out again when playing out from the back. Keeper Omondi's attempted ball out wide to Masoud Juma was cut out by Peter Chol . His shot was however blocked by the ever solid Antony 'Teddy' Akumu. There were groans from the stands every time we attempted to play out from the back, my heartbeat increasing with every pass. I can't imagine what Brighton fans feel every weekend watching your keeper invite the opposition striker so close for the sake of playing from the back.

Harambee Stars did get control for the rest of the half. Kenneth Muguna's shot from just outside the box was our clearest opportunity at goal in the 23rd minute. We had a few more opportunities from corners. It was encouraging but the goal wasn't forthcoming. Richard Odada was the best player on the pitch, springing passes like he was in his backyard. Marcelo was turning defenders but to my surprise it seemed he wasn't given as much freedom to go forward as I would have liked.

Our best chance of the game fell to the one person you would want it to fall to. Our Captain, our talisman, our poster boy, the Engineer Michael Olunga. Odada wriggled through a press by the South Sudan players before putting his head up and playing a beautifully weighted lofted ball to his captain. He was through on goal, just the keeper to beat. The fans up on their feet in expectation, this was it. To put it nicely, Olunga was indecisive and the keeper made up ground and prevented any shot from Olunga. That summed up our day in front of goal. 

Despite huffing and puffing for the rest of the game, we could not muscle up an equalizer. We were forced to go long as the desperation increased. Despite the tepid performance, the crowd was with the team throughout. There were boos when players were doing their applause round the stadium but this was quickly drowned by applause from those who had remained. There was disappointment yes but the fans conducted themselves extremely well.

Tactics

National team coach Engin Firat blamed the loss, among other things, on a lack of focus from the boys after the win over Qatar. In his post match press conference he was impressed with how South Sudan defended but insisted the team did not properly implement what they had worked on. 

Harambee Stars Coach Engin Firat Post Match Remarks-

“I have not been paid for months but that's not the problem, the problem is explaining to my family why I keep doing the job without getting paid"

"Kenya lacks creative players. Players who can beat opponents on 1V1"

Firat explained that the idea was to force the sides, have overlaps but we lacked creativity.

This was true, Harambee Stars did focus their attacks through the wings but how we did that was the problem for me. We were playing two forwards in Masoud Juma and Elvis Rupia out wide. They're naturally strikers but they do not give you width nor the ability to get crosses in the box. Or maybe you play them more inside have them around the box to make space for the fullback but why not have Eric Ouma (Marcelo) high up the pitch for that. The wings were a source of frustration throughout the game with the wide men unable to get good delivery into the box or beat their man. D. Anyembe I thought did very well at right back. 

Every time Marcelo had the ball the crowd got on their feet. It baffles me why we could not get him into more dangerous positions when he was our best chance of at least getting a successful cross into the box.

Creativity as Firat said was non-existent. Muguna had a torrid game and was rightfully substituted for Duke Abuya. Abuya had some nice touches and occasionally turned his defender. If the plan is to play with a number 10 then we're in desperate need of one.

Make no mistake about it. This was an embarrassing defeat. S. Sudan was admitted to FIFA in 2012 and ranked 167th in the world. We should be comprehensively beating them in our home turf. The fans left feeling robbed and shortchanged. Where was the beautiful football we showcased in Qatar? Where were the goals? The manager reportedly hasn't been paid for seven months ! I love my country. 

Player Rating 

B. Odhiambo (6) , E.Ouma(6), B. Mandela (5) , J. Okumu (5), D.Anyembe(6) , R. Odada(7) , A.Akumu(6), K. Muguna (4) , M.Juma(4) , E. Rupia (5), M. Olunga (5). 

Subs:  D. Abuya (6), C. Oduor (5), A.N. Obiero (5), T. Ouma (5), M.Shumah (5)