Harambee Stars were knocked out of the African Nations Championship (CHAN) 2024 qualifiers following a 3-1 aggregate loss against South Sudan in the first round of qualification.
Having lost the first leg 2-0, Kenya failed to overturn the scoreline as they played to a 1-1 draw in the second leg staged at the Mandela National Stadium in Kampala, Uganda on Sunday evening..
Harambee Stars started the match strongly and managed to take the lead in the 10th minute through their captain Austine Odhiambo
After the goal, the Engin Firat charges tried to add their advantage but the visitors did not give them a chance to double their lead.
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They had a wonderful opportunity to make it 2-0 in the 27th minute but Ronney Onyango’s shot was directed out for a corner kick.
The missed chance came to haunt Harambee Stars fourteen minutes later when South Sudan managed to get an equalizer that ensured the two nations headed to the half-time break leveled.
In the second half, Kenya enjoyed a lot of possession but they did not create enough chances and the few that they had were wasted by the forwards.
With less than seven minutes remaining to the end of the regulation time, Odhiambo tried his luck from outside the box but his shot failed to hit the target.
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The Bright Stars managed to hold on and secured an important draw in the end that made them progress to the next and final round of qualification.
The Bright Stars will now face Rwanda in the next round in December.
As for Harambee Stars, the defeat did not come at a cost as they had already secured an automatic ticket to the upcoming tournament by virtue of being one of the joint hosts.
The upcoming CHAN tournament will be held in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, with the three neighbors also expected to co-host the 2027 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) showpiece.
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