Kenya have crashed and burned at the hands of Mali who beat them 1-0 in a Group E, 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier at the Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi on Saturday night.
The loss leaves Kenya third in their World Cup qualifying group with two points to their name and unable to qualify for Qatar.
The same can also be said for Rwanda who remain rooted at the bottom of Group E with one point following their 1-0 loss to Uganda on Sunday afternoon.
The win for Mali sees maintain their lead with ten points in Group E, with Uganda keeping pressure on the West Africans with eight points.
Kenya controlled the flow of the game early on and should have taken the lead in the 19th minute, but Abdallah Hassan effort went over crossbar.
Harambee Stars had another chance in the 34th and it was their best of the opening half. After some slick passing, Duke Abuya played in Boniface Muchiri as the third man running down the right and he crossed in between the Mali centre-backs for an unmarked whose powerful header brought a fine reaction stop out of Mounkoro.
By the half-hour mark Kenya had had three shots whereas Mali had none after Richard Odada’s was routinely saved by Mounkoro.
It was a match where fouls were many and goal scoring chances a rarity. Keneth Muguna went for the impossible when he blazed over the bar after the ball bounced out to him 35 yards out from a corner to cap a rather forgettable first-half.
The visiting West Africans came out the tunnel a much better looking side and seemed ready to cause an upset in Nairobi
Kenya’s Duke Abuya looked to be struggling in the middle of the park and he was quickly replaced by Philip Mayaka in the 50th minute.
Mali responded with a fast attack and danger man Ibrahima Kone broke the deadlock with a powerful shot past Harambee Stars custodian Brian Bwire.
Kenya tried to rescue the match as Odada won the free-kick on the left and Olunga whipped in a dangerous ball into the box which Erick Kapaito headed powerfully at goal but Monkoro made a fantastic reaction save.
How they lined up:
Photos Credit:Pepeta
