Harambee Stars outsmart Lesotho to conclude June friendlies on a high
Harambee Stars concluded their June international friendlies with an emphatic 4-0 win over Lesotho in a clash staged at the Lucas Moripe Stadium on Sunday, June 7, 2026.
Benni McCarthy’s team rode on braces from both Mohammed Bajaber and Lawrence Ouma as a revamped Kenyan side comfortably thumped Likuena in the rematch. The victory marked Kenya’s first win against the side that had frustrated them in a 1-1 draw four days ago at the same venue.
Revamped team
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McCarthy made changes to his lineup, handing starting berths to attackers Micah Obiero and Austin Odhiambo. The tie was particularly significant for Bajaber, who has endured his share of injury troubles since his switch to Tanzanian giants Simba SC late last year.
However, it was the former Kenya Police and Nairobi City Stars ace, Mohammed Bajaber, who stole the early headlines. Bajaber bagged the opener inside the opening nine minutes, scoring from a cross from the right wing past the Lesotho goalkeeper.
He then made it 2-0 moments after the restart, showing fine composure to extend Kenya’s lead.
Despite the early cushion, the match remained a compact and edgy battle as both teams fought for control. The final moments, however, belonged to another recent newcomer to the national team setup, Lawrence Ouma, after his impressive exploits with the Kenya U20 team during the youth AFCON in 2025.
Ouma’s double
Coming on as a second-half substitute, Ouma made a triumphant entry, notching two late goals in a space of five minutes to put the tie completely beyond Likuena’s reach.
Reflecting on the heavy defeat, the Lesotho camp acknowledged the tactical uphill battle they faced.
“We were a bit in control from the wings but failed on the final pass when we didn’t have enough numbers in the box, and we failed in our decision-making. Conceding early from a cross and then the red card going, one man down against Kenyan quality, meant it was always going to be difficult. We, however, came here to play and gauge the team against a side ranked better than us,” their technical bench noted.
The resounding result comes as a fitting response for Harambee Stars, following coach McCarthy’s public frustrations over his side’s lack of composure in front of goal during the initial fixture.
Kenya let go of Frank Odhiambo’s early lead to draw the Likuena 1-1 in their first of back-to-back ties against the Southern African nation ranked 30 places below them.
Kenya now shifts its preparation to other friendly ties in the upcoming window as the timeline to the AFCON 2027 draws near.
