Emerging Stars Tokyo 2020 Dream Shattered By Stubborn Sudan
26th March 2019
Kenya crash out of the Africa Under 23 Cup of Nations qualifiers on Tuesday after visitors forced a 0-0 draw at MISC, Kasarani
- Francis Kimanzi's needed to overturn a 0-2 deficit from the first leg of their second round Africa Under 23 Cup of Nations qualifier and after wasting numerous scoring chances at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, bowed out of the competition by the same score on aggregate
- Kenya strolled past Mauritius in the first round, but has missed a chance to grace the Africa U23 Cup of Nations, set to be held in Egypt in November 2019. The tourney will act as a qualifier to the 2020 Summer Olympics set to be held in Japan
- There was to be not final flourish as the home side that has never qualified for the Olympics football tournament crashed out at the end of the final whistle
NAIROBI, Kenya- National Under 23 football team, Emerging Stars dream of making the Tokyo 2020 Olympics ended on Tuesday afternoon when they were forced to a 0-0 draw in Nairobi by Sudan during the return leg of their qualifier.
Francis Kimanzi's needed to overturn a 0-2 deficit from the first leg of their second round Africa Under 23 Cup of Nations qualifier and after wasting numerous scoring chances at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, bowed out of the competition by the same score on aggregate.
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Emerging Stars were victims of a myriad of missed chances with Pistone Mutamba, Ibrahim Shambi and Ovella Ochieng the main culprits.
Kenya strolled past Mauritius in the first round, but has missed a chance to grace the Africa U23 Cup of Nations, set to be held in Egypt in November 2019. The tourney will act as a qualifier to the 2020 Summer Olympics set to be held in Japan.
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That Kenya's dream was ended by a familiar face made the defeat all more galling, with former SportPesa Premier League (SPL) champions, Zradvko Logarusic biting the hand that once fed him in the Sudan dugout on his return to Nairobi.
Kimanzi rang the changes to the team that fell in Khartoum as he sought to reverse the scoreline with Timothy Odhiambo getting the nod in goal ahead of Brian Bwire while SportPesa Cup champions ace, Sven Yidah had Ibrahim Shambi of Ulinzi Stars FC for company in midfield as Teddy Osok dropped to the bench.
Mutamba and James Kinyanjui started in attack in place of injured pair Jaffary Owiti and John Avire.
Low finish
From the off, Kimanzi and indeed the Emerging Stars had a huge scare in the second minute when Yagoub Mohammed forced Odhiambo to work with a low finish after a mistake from Johnston Omurwa gave the Sudan marksman a sniff at goal.
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Omurwa then scuffed Kenya's first chance, setting the tone for the rest of the game for the rest of the contest in the 12th when he headed wide when he attacked a James Mazembe second ball. The defender was completely unmarked.
It was one of those afternoons for Omurwa who epitomised lack of composure pumping through the Emerging Stars' ranks.
In the 25th, the Mathare United FC man once again pressed the panic button in defence but Kenya survived when his teammate David Owino made an excellent tackle to pinch the ball from the foot of that man, Waleed Bakhiet- who notched a double for Sudan in the first leg- after Mohammed fed him the ball.
The visitors had been encouraged forward after Yidah and Shambi blasted way wide from distance earlier due to the fact that the obdurate Sudanese narrowed the field to snuff out any attempt to pass the ball to their box.
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After the scare, Sharks ace, Ochieng' then wasted a presentable free-kick when he lifted the ball up and under but the effort lacked the venom or pace to bother the Sudanese keeper who easily dealt with the threat.
Best chance
SPL log leaders Sofapaka FC striker Mutamba got to the end of and much to the dismay of his team, wasted Emerging Stars' best chance of the half a minute the break when he horribly miscued his effort after Kinyanjui squared the ball to his foot at the edge of the box.
Kimanzi hauled off Kinyanjui at the start of the last stanza for Sharks hot shot, Sydney Lokale, as the pursuit of the three goals they needed to win the tie got more desperate.
To their credit, the home side pressed and in the 52nd, Mazembe's belted in a great corner but yet again, Shambi shot over completely unmarked as calmness yet again deserted the hosts.
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Another free kick from Ochieng' was smothered by the Sudan keeper and it was the visitors who almost killed the contest when another piece of porous defending let Mohammed through on goal for a one-on-one against Odhiambo but mercifully for Kenya, the keeper came out on top.
There was to be not final flourish as the home side that has never qualified for the Olympics football tournament crashed out at the end of the final whistle.