- Burundi vs Harambee Stars ended with Kenya winning 0-1 in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier on Thursday, October 9, 2025.
- The match took place at the Intwari Stadium in Bujumbura.
- In-form Ryan Ogam scored the solo goal for Kenya as they picked three points to go in third place of Group F with 12 points.
Sensational Ryan Ogam came off the bench to inspire Harambee Stars to a hard-fought 0-1 victory over a stubborn 10-man Burundi in their penultimate FIFA 2026 World Cup qualifier on Thursday evening at the Intwari Stadium in Bujumbura.
The match began in a chaotic manner as the hosts were reduced to 10 men in front of a packed home crowd.
Caleb Bimenyimana was shown red after a reckless challenge on Brian Bwire, who had started in goal for Kenya.Unfortunately, Bwire was forced off just four minutes in due to injury, making way for Byrne Omondi.
Despite being a man down, the Swallows stoutly held off the Benni McCarthy-led charges, who seemed off their usual pace.
Harambee Stars were frustrated in a goalless deadlock until the 79th minute when Ogam emerged as the savior as he latched onto a sharp assist from Michael Olunga and slotted home the winner.
As a result, Kenya, though already out of contention for a spot in next year’s global showpiece in America, moved up to third in Group F with 12 points.
They now look ahead to their final qualifier against Ivory Coast on Tuesday, October 14. Burundi will also be in action the same day, facing Gabon.
In this piece, we take a look on how the Harambee Stars players performed: who excelled and who fell short.
Burundi vs Harambee Stars Player Ratings
Byrne Omondi: 7/10
Was introduced in the fourth minute after Brian Bwire suffered an early injury from a foul.
For the remainder of the match, he commanded his area effectively, denying the Swallows’ strikers any clear-cut opportunities.
In the 90th minute, he made a crucial save from substitute Abedi Bigirimana’s header, which nearly secured an equalizer for the hosts.
Collins Sichenje: 6/10
Played some decent football, but the defense looked disorganized in the first half, allowing the Burundi attackers too much freedom in the final third.
Sylvester Owino: 6/10
Stood firm at the back for much of the match, making key clearances. However, his distribution into midfield was sometimes wayward, leaving attacking players isolated.
Rooney Onyango: 5.5/10
Endured a difficult game.
On the right wing, he struggled to contain Jean Claude Girumugisha, who consistently got the better of him and delivered dangerous crosses.
He also received a yellow card in the dying minutes of the game.
Vincent Harper: 4.5/10
Made a rash challenge in the 16th minute, earning a yellow card for fouling Bienveue Kanakimana.
In his 45 minutes under his first Benni McCarthy call up, he looked somewhat tense and struggled to make an impact, leading to his substitution at halftime.
Manzur Okwaro: 5.0/10
Not the performance we are accustomed to from Okwaro. He appeared isolated in defensive midfield, allowing the Burundi players to dominate the center and find spaces to switch play to the wingers.
Duke Abuya: 6/10
A quieter performance compared to his two-assist display against Seychelles. He was largely anonymous in midfield and struggled to get on the ball, with his only notable chance coming in the 57th minute.
Austine Odhiambo: 5/10
Similar to Abuya, the Gor Mahia creative midfielder struggled to win the second balls and was cut off from the game, preventing him from making his trademark deliveries into the box. He was substituted in the 65th minute.
William Lenkupae: 6/10
Played the full 90 minutes and attempted to make driving runs from the wing. While he was often snuffed out by the Burundi defense, he did manage to unleash a few passes into the final third, though they came to nothing.
Michael Olunga: 6/10
Despite being starved of service, Olunga became more lively in the second half. While his quest to become Kenya’s all-time top scorer was delayed, he ultimately provided the crucial assist for the winning goal.
Adam Wilson: 7/10
Looked lively throughout his 79 minutes on the pitch. His wing runs allowed him to deliver promising crosses, and he registered Kenya’s first serious shot on target in a first half where they struggled to capitalize on their numerical advantage.
Ryan Ogam: 7/10
The spark that Kenya lacked. Introduced for Austine Odhiambo, Ogam made the difference by scoring the winning goal in the 73rd minute, expertly finishing from an Olunga assist.
This ensured he scored in his third consecutive match, following a goal against Gambia and a brace against Seychelles back in September, bringing his tally to four goals in the World Cup qualifiers.
Timothy Ouma: 6.5/10
Injected much-needed energy into the midfield after replacing Harper. He was involved in the buildup to the winning goal, providing the pass to Olunga that led to the assist.
Job Ochieng: N/A
Came on for Duke Abuya but did not have enough time to make a clear impact.
Boniface Mucir: N/A
Introduced too late to be rated.
Marvin Nabwire: N/A
Introduced too late to be rated.
Burundi vs Harambee Stars Line-ups
- The Swallows: Jonothan Nahimana, Akbar Muderi, Marco Weymans, Mosa Omar, Christophe Nduwarugira, Henry Msanga, Gael Bigirimana, Jean Claude Girumugisha, Bienveue Kanakimana, Romeo Vancy Mabanza, Caleb Bimenyimana.
- Kenya: Brian Bwire (Byrne Omondi), Collins Sichenje, Sylvester Owino, Rooney Onyango, Manzur Suleiman Okwaro, Austine Odhiambo, Duke Abuya, William Lenkupae, Michael Olunga, Adam Wilson, Vincent Harper.