Harambee Stars were forced to fight back from a goal down to secure a 1-1 draw against Eritrea in their AFCON 2027 qualifier on Saturday, with Ryan Ogam scoring five minutes from time to spare Kenya’s blushes.
Kenya started the match with urgency but struggled to translate their attacking movements into clear opportunities, while Eritrea showed early confidence on the ball, threading passes through the Harambee Stars midfield and threatening on the counter.
Ryan Ogam had Kenya’s clearest opening of the first half in the 11th minute after running onto a through ball. The forward brilliantly deceived a defender with a cool feint, but his effort was parried away by the Eritrean 19-year-old goalkeeper Jonathan Sultan.
Harambee Stars continued looking for openings, with Job Ochieng proving one of their main outlets on the left. However, the winger repeatedly found himself thwarted by Eritrea's defence as Kenya struggled to find the creativity needed in the final third.
The visitors were also left frustrated in the 32nd minute when they appealed for a penalty after Kenya's Haniff Wesonga appeared to handle the ball inside the Kenyan box, but the referee waved play on.
Kenya's frustrations deepened five minutes later. A defensive lapse gifted Eritrea an opening in the 37th minute, and Nahom Netabay made no mistake, sending a low effort past Byrne Omondi to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.
The goal stunned the home crowd, who made their feelings known at half-time as Harambee Stars headed down the tunnel to a chorus of boos, while the travelling Eritrean supporters celebrated their side's advantage.
The second half began at a frantic pace, with both sides attacking with greater purpose. Eritrea continued to use the wings effectively on counter-attacks, while Kenya increasingly relied on corners and set pieces in search of an equaliser.
Kenya made its first major changes in the 63rd minute, bringing on Ben Stanley and Stanley Wilson for Job Ochieng and Timothy Ouma.
The substitutions gradually injected more energy into the Harambee Stars attack.
Mohamed Bajaber, introduced for Manzur, came close in the 75th minute after weaving his way through the Eritrean defence, only for the goalkeeper to parry his effort behind for a corner.
Two minutes later, Shariff Musa and Amos Wanjala were introduced for Micah Obiero and Rooney, with Musa immediately making an impact on the right flank. The winger repeatedly made runs in behind the Eritrean fullback and helped stretch a defence that had largely kept Kenya at bay.
Kenya continued piling on the pressure, with Erambo coming close in the 83rd minute, only for his effort to be punched away by the Eritrean goalkeeper.
The breakthrough finally came two minutes later. Ben Stanley delivered a low cross into the danger area and Ogam reacted quickest, turning the ball home in the 85th minute to level the contest and send the home supporters into wild celebrations.
Kenya pushed for a winner in the closing stages, with Bajaber again involved in the build-up.
Shariff Musa was presented with an opportunity to complete the comeback late in the game following a dangerous cross from Bajaber, but he lifted his effort over the bar.
The final whistle confirmed a 1-1 draw, leaving Harambee Stars to settle for a point after a night in which their attacking struggles and defensive lapse had threatened to cost them dearly.
