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Harambee Stars fight back to rescue a draw against Eritrea
26th September, 2026 06:09 PM
It was a slow start for Harambee Stars on the road to AFCON 2027 after Kenya settled for a 1-1 draw against Eritrea at Nyayo Stadium.
The national team was forced to dig deep after going behind in the first half, battling back to secure a point against a determined Eritrean outfit.
Harambee Stars left it late, with Ryan Ogam firing home from close range in the 87th minute after being set up by Ben Stanley Omondi’s well-timed run and cross.
It was a highly charged afternoon in front of the home fans and an important competitive test for head coach Benni McCarthy, who had to contend with disrupted preparations, including just one full training session following a player strike.
It nearly turned into an embarrassing outing as Harambee Stars struggled to break down the Red Sea Camels at the Nyayo National Stadium.
Despite already securing qualification as one of the tournament’s co-hosts, Benni McCarthy had made it clear that his side was targeting a strong campaign and a top finish in a group that also features South Africa and Guinea.
Eritrea take an early lead
However, that was not the case inside Nyayo Stadium, as the Harambee Stars went down early in the first half.
Eritrea stunned the Nyayo crowd in the 35th minute when Nahom Girmai robbed Manzur Okwaro of possession and drilled home from the edge of the area.
Eritrea keeper’s heroic saves
Kenya struggled to find the back of the net as the Eritrean in fine form repelled several attempts from Harambee Stars until the dying minutes of the match, when he hesitated to pounce on a risky cross which found Ogam.
He also pulled an impulse save to keep out Mohamed Bajaber and, further, a point-blank save to deny Duke Abuya in a one-on-one situation.
The two sides met for the first time since December 2019, when Eritrea stunned Kenya with a 4-1 victory in the CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup semi-final.
The previous meeting remains a painful one for Harambee Stars, who were unable to respond after Eritrea took control of the match. Kenya managed only one goal, while the Red Sea Camels found the net four times to secure a convincing victory.
Kenya will be hoping to bounce back when they travel to face Guinea in their Matchday 2 encounter in West Africa. For Eritrea, attention turns to South Africa as they look to build on their encouraging opening performance in Group D.
