Cameroon seal 2025 Afcon finals place with Kenya win
Harambee Stars Coach Engin Firat monitors Timothy Ouma (right) and Amos Nondi during a training session at Kenya Police Sacco Stadium on October 9, 2024.
What you need to know:
- Defenders Joseph Okumu and Johnstone Omurwa were also handed starting berths by Firat. The game had a slow start, but Cameroon looked sharper in attack, while Kenya chose to sit back and hit on the break.
- Cameroon's Moumi Brice set up Malong Pierre, who beat Daniel Anyembe, but failed to find the net with only Bryne to beat in the 34th minute.
Kenya's Harambee Stars' chances of qualifying for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) were further dented after they lost 1-0 to Cameroon at the Mandela National Stadium in Kampala, Uganda on Monday.
The lone goal in the contest staged behind closed doors was netted by second half substitute Enow Boris in the 63rd minute. Boris scored a long range free kick, which went straight into the net, despite Harambee Stars custodian Bryne Omondi dividing the right side.
The win saw the Indomitable Lions seal their spot in the 2025 Afcon finals in Morocco with two games to spare.
They are top with 10 points and cannot finish outside of the top two, which is enough to secure a place at the finals in Morocco.
They join the hosts and Burkina Faso as confirmed in the 24-team field. They also completed a double over Engin Firat's charges after their 4-1 victory on Friday at the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium in Yaoundé.
Kenya remain third with four points. Zimbabwe, who host Namibia at home later today, are second with five points, while Namibia are bottom with zero points.
Firat made changes to his lineup, dropping Kenya Police goalkeeper Patrick Matasi, who was at fault in the Yaounde game, with his place taken by Bryine Omondi, who was in goal during Kenya's barren draw against Zimbabwe on September 6 at Mandela National Stadium, and their 1-0 win over Namibia at the Orlando Stadium in Johannesburg.
Defenders Joseph Okumu and Johnstone Omurwa were also handed starting berths by Firat. The game had a slow start, but Cameroon looked sharper in attack, while Kenya chose to sit back and hit on the break.
Cameroon's Moumi Brice set up Malong Pierre, who beat Daniel Anyembe, but failed to find the net with only Bryne to beat in the 34th minute.
Cameroon then thought they had taken the lead in the 41st minute when Nouhou Tolo found the back of the net from a free kick which Stars couldn't defend, but the goal was ruled out for offside.
In the second half, Rooney Onyango's ferocious shot hit the bar and skipper Michael Olunga fired the rebound winde. Cameroon then dominated the contest before their efforts paid off via Boris free kick.
Despite bringing on Amos Nondi and Timothy Ouma for John Avire and Duke Abuya respectively, Stars made no meaningful effort to draw level.
Kenya will now have to go back to the drawing board ahead of their last two matches against Zimbabwe away on November 11, and Namibia at home on November 19
Only the top two teams in each of the 12 groups will make it to the continental showpiece in December 2025.
