Qatar 2022 Nyayo Stadium comes alive as Harambee Stars shine amid FA gloom

If you had visited Nyayo Stadium in Nairobi on Monday afternoon, it could have been difficult realising that the football fraternity in Kenya was sinking deep in a bottomless pit of an administrative quandary.

For once, the home victory-starved fans had smiles plastered on their faces.

But behind such lively sights and sounds lie a football nation trying to find its soul after the government disbanded the Kenya FA and its president Nick Mwendwa was handcuffed over alleged financial irregularities during his tenure.

However, on the pitch the fans had something to smile about at the end of a dismal World Cup qualifying campaign.

After all, Kenya finished the World Cup qualifiers for Group E on a high after beating Rwanda 2-1 at the lively stadium in Nairobi.

Skipper Michael Olunga and Richard Odada scored in the third and 15th minutes for the Harambee Stars to finish third best in the group with six points from six games.

Olunga volleyed the ball into the net from close range after a ball was flicked from the right via a header.

Some 12 minutes later, Odada added the second goal from the penalty spot after Rwanda goalkeeper Fiackle Ntwali had mowed him down while chasing a through ball in a one-versus-one situation.

After the second goal it was a matter of Kenya managing the game up to its logical conclusion.

However, Rwanda were not going to fly back to Kigali virtually empty handed.

Olivier Niyozima scored the only consolation goal for the visitors in the 61st minute after meeting a free-kick in a crowded penalty box to bundle the ball into the net.

With that goal, Rwanda wound up the qualifiers bottom with one point from six games having failed to collect maximum points in any game.

Up the table, Mali sealed their place in the final knockout round after beating second-placed Uganda 1-0 on Sunday.

The Eagles have 16 points whereas Uganda finished on nine points. For now, Kenyan football fans wait for what would become of their troubled FA whereas coach Engin Firat heads home at the end of his tenure.


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