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Kenya struggled to get going against their less fancied opponents leaving coach Engin Firat with plenty to ponder about ahead of Sunday’s match.
Harambee Stars endured a frustrating afternoon as they managed a slim 1-0 win over minnows Pakistan in their Four-Nations Tournament opener at the Cote D’Or National Sports Complex in Mauritius on Wednesday.
Debutant Moses Shumah scored the lone goal but besides that, there were no more positives to talk about from the game, giving coach Engin Firat, who fumed at what he termed a ‘very slow’ display, plenty to ponder ahead of their second match against the hosts on Sunday.
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So, what did we learn from Kenya’s laboured victory against Pakistan?
Cheche is a baller
While his center-back partner Abud Omar did not always cover himself in glory and was taken off at halftime for Abadllah Hassan, David ‘Cheche’ Ochieng was among the few Stars players who impressed on the day.
The Kenya Police FC defender did not just clear out danger but his ball-playing was a joy to watch. His short and long passes were always on point and he nearly got an assist early on when he took a long pass that took out the entire Pakistan midfield into the opposition box.
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16:50 - 14.06.2023
FOOTBALL Debutant Shumah with the only goal as Harambee Stars labour to down Pakistan in Four-Nations tournament opener
Kenya managed a slim win against the Asian side who offered a lot of resistance in the invitational tournament
Cheche also organised the defence and brought calmness in the rearguard by not diving into challenges as some of his teammates at the back.
Marcelo better at left-back
Erick ‘Marcelo’ Ouma played more of a left wingback than a full-back and while the intention might have been good from Firat, it backfired somewhat.
The former Gor Mahia left-back is at his best bombing up and down the left flank and with limited space to run into, he was not as effective as he has been previously.
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17:02 - 14.06.2023
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The fact that most of Kenya’s attacking play came from Daniel Sakari on the right wing than on the left was testament to how ineffective Ouma was.
It was also ill-informed for Firat to play full-backs in advanced positions when there wasn’t much defending expected against the Asian minnows. He should have gone all-out attack with wingers in wide areas supported by attacking fullbacks.
This approach also largely contributed to the lack of service for the two strikers captain Michael Olunga and Shumah.
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Odada has a bright future
Deservedly voted Man of the Match, Richard Odada was the best player on the pitch with his dominant display in midfield.
Odada was all over, clearing danger, winning back possession and starting attacks for Harambee Stars. His partnership with Anthony Akumu gave Kenya the base and they should have won by a bigger margin had they had some invention, especially in the final third.
The Laiser Hill Academy product’s assured display should give Stars fans plenty to be delighted about given at 22, he is just getting started.
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20:00 - 14.06.2023
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Stars need a proper No.10
Stars lacked creativity and invention in the final third in the entire contest with the more defensive 4-4-2 system preferred by Firat not yielding the desired results.
Despite Akumu and Odada launching attacks from deep, there was no one with the ability to get those incisive passes in behind the Pakistan defene and the result was Olunga and Shumah feeding on scraps.
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The few chances created by Kenya came from the wing but with the strikers well-marked, they could not get on the end of most of them, with Olunga nearly scoring once, when he missed from close range in the final 10 minutes.
Kenya lack game management
A recurring problem, Kenya have made a habit of starting matches quickly and then fizzling out as the game wears on.
It was not different on Wednesday even against Pakistan, a side ranked 195 in the world, 93 places below them. In a game that they should have dominated from start to finish given the obvious gulf in class, Firat’s men had a decent first half but struggled to get going in the second stanza.
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06:31 - 15.06.2023
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They lost their shape and rhythm and looked out of ideas at some point as they failed to threaten the Pakistan goal, giving their opponents impetus. They nearly paid the price late on were it not for a rare save from debutant goalkeeper Bryne Odhiambo.
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