Monday, June 18, 2012

End of the road for Kenya's Harambee Stars


End of the road for Kenya's Harambee Stars

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PHOTO | AFP | CARL DE SOUZA  Kenya's captain Dennis Oliech (R) fights for the ball with Togo's Nibombe Dare (L) on February 29, 2012 during a 2013 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier football match at Nyayo stadium in Nairobi.
PHOTO | AFP | FILE Kenya's captain Dennis Oliech (R) fights for the ball with Togo's Nibombe Dare (L) on February 29, 2012 during a past Africa Cup of Nations qualifier match in Nairobi. Kenya failed to qualify for the tournament on Sunday after a 1-0 defeat by Togo. 
By AYUMBA AYODI and AFP
Posted  Sunday, June 17  2012 at  21:00
Kenya’s Harambee Stars were bundled out of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers when they slumped to a 0-1 defeat by Togo in Lome on Sunday.
Standard Liège Serge Gakpe latched onto a poor clearance header from Jockins Atudo to rifle home the winner in 59th minute from 23 yards.
However, what locked out Francis Kimanzi’s charges from advancing to the second round of the qualifiers for South Africa 2013 was the away goal after the Sparrow Hawks lost 1-2 in the first leg in Nairobi.
Stars were pinned in their half virtually the whole of the first session but defended well with keeper Arnold Origi making some outstanding saves including two rockets off free-kicks on the edge of the box.
The Togolese made nothing out of their myriad opportunities into the Kenyan half including five corners. Kimanzi made three substitutions in the second half.
Target of defenders
The move turned on the screws especially on the left wing where an enterprising sub Paul Were became the target of the Togolese defenders.
Were was brought down on the edge to earn a free kick but Oliech’s curling kick between a forest of legs whizzed out. Kenya also got two corners but failed to utilise them.
Weekend Africa Cup of Nations first round, second leg qualifying results:
  • At Maputo: Mozambique 1 (Sitoe 8) Tanzania 1 (Morris 89), Mozambique win 8-7 on penalties after 2-2 aggregate tie;
  • At Harare: Zimbabwe 1 (Musona 36) Burundi 0, Zimbabwe win on away goals after 2-2 tie;
  • At Kinshasa: Democratic Republic of Congo 3 (Mbokani 38, Mpeko 45, Kanda 84) Seychelles 0, DR Congo win 7-0;
  • At Cotonou: Benin 1 (Pote 19) Ethiopia 1 (Mekonnen 43), Ethiopia win on away goals after 1-1 tie;
  • At Lome: Togo 1 (Gakpe 59) Kenya 0, Togo win on away goals after 2-2 tie.
Played on Saturday:
  • At Blantyre: Malawi 2 (Banda 33, Kamwendo 73) Chad 0, Malawi win 4-3 on aggregate;
  • At Kampala: Uganda 4 (Mwesigwa 33, Walusimbi 52-pen, Massa 66, Okwi 88) Congo Brazzaville 0, Uganda win 5-3;
  • At Yaounde: Cameroon 1 (Moukandjo 81) Guinea-Bissau 0, Cameroon win 2-0;
  • At Calabar: Nigeria 2 (I. Uche 9, Musa 56) Rwanda 0, Nigeria win 2-0;
  • At Freetown: Sierra Leone 4 Sao Tome e Principe 2, Sierra Leone win 5-4;
  • At Windhoek: Namibia 0 Liberia 0, Liberia win 1-0;
  • At Praia: Cape Verde Islands 3 Madagascar 1, Cape Verde win 7-1; On Friday:
  • At Blida: Algeria 4 (Kadir 1, Slimani 6, 48, Soudani 65) Gambia 1 (Gassama 15), Algeria win 6-2.

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