Late Musa goal all but ends Kenya’s 2014 Brazil dreams

Harambee Stars’ Francis Kahata dribbles past Super Eagles’ John Obi Mikel (left) during their 2014 World Cup qualifier return leg match at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani on June 5, 2013. Photo/MOHAMMED AMIN  NATION MEDIA GROUP

By NATION TEAM sportsdesk@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted  Wednesday, June 5  2013 at  19:33

A rare blunder by David Ochieng’ proved costly as Kenya’s Harambee Stars fell to Nigeria’s Super Eagles in a Word Cup 2014 qualifier at Moi International Sports Centre on Wednesday.

Kenya had held on gallantly until 10 minutes from time when a ball that seemed harmless was looped by Mohammed Musa into the net after he overpowered Ochieng’.

The result all but ended any slim hopes Kenya had of a World Cup ticket.

The Stars who play Malawi away in just over a week remain winless and rooted at the bottom of Group F as the Nigerians go top with eight points from four matches.

Malawi drew 1-1 with Namibia in Blantyre.

Kenya had a great game in both halves matching the Nigerians in all departments but it was evident the absence of Dennis Oliech was telling.

It was a breathtaking first half in which Stars managed to hold the Super Eagles.

Victor Wanyama, captaining Kenya for the first time, was solid in midfield cutting out all the moves by the Nigerians.

So frustrated were the Eagles that they changed their game plan in the first half, first starting with short, crisp passing using John Mikel Obi as the anchor man in the midfield.

When that did not work, they resorted to counter attacks which also did not work as the Kenya defence of David Owino, David Ochieng’, Brian Mandela and Mulinge Ndeto did not allow them space.

Orchestrated by Mikel

Their third strategy, again orchestrated by Mikel was long balls but then again this failed and they decided to pack the midfield, but nothing seemed to work.

So pressured were the Super Eagles, had it been a basketball game their bench would have exhausted their time outs by the first half.

It was Kenya who had the first and only open chance of the game when a move from David Owino, through to Francis Kahata and Jamal Mohammed ended on Wanyama but his final ball went over the bar.

Save for that, none of the goalkeepers was tested all through the half, Vincent Enyeama for Nigeria and Duncan Ochieng of Kenyan.

Kenya coach Adel Amrouche was missing on the Kenyan bench as he was serving a one-match ban because of his red card in Calabar in March.

The ban meant he could not access the dressing room and the bench and was not to in any way get close to the team during the match.

In his absence, his assistants James Nandwa and Ken Odhiambo took charge.

But fans started demanding for changes in the team as Kepha Aswani, playing in place of suspended captain Dennis Oliech showed little pace and urgency up field.

Aswani’s control was poor and he had problems going past the Nigerian defence.

Nigeria had their first real chance at the start of the second half. A back pass from an off colour Jamal Mohammed was poorly cleared by goalkeeper Duncan Ochieng, the ball reached Mohammed Musa whose effort was blocked by Ochieng.

Kenya bench made their first change, bringing in Stephen Waruru for the ineffective Aswani in the 55th minute.

Tension hit Kenya when Wanyama started wobbling. First he seemed to have pulled a calf muscle as he chased a ball then he again went down in an off-the-ball incidence.

The Stars’ medical staff made frantic efforts to ensure the Celtic man remained on the pitch.

Wanyama struggling

With Wanyama struggling and the Kenya bench keen to have him remain on the pitch, Nandwa brought in Patrick Osiako for Peter Opiyo midway through the second half.

It was a blunder by David Ochieng’ who failed to cover well as Mohammed Musa lobed over the advancing Duncan Ochieng’ to score with 10 minutes of play remaining.

That goal dampened Kenya’s spirits. The players looked crestfallen as fans started streaming out of the stadium sensing defeat.

That is how it ended. Kenya was felled and with it a ticket to Brazil was lost

Elsewhere, Cameroon skipper Samuel Eto’o will miss Sunday’s World Cup qualifier against Togo because of injury but may be fit to face DR Congo a week later.

Eto’o suffered a hamstring problem during Saturday’s Russian Cup final.

Cameroon coach Volker Finke said: “Eto’o... has been recommended by his club to rest for a few weeks. So he will likely miss the match in Lome.

“But I’m sure he will be present for the match after that against DR Congo on 16 June in Kinshasa.”

Anzhi Makhachkala’s physiotherapist, Stijn Vandenbroucke, wrote to the Cameroon Football Federation (Fecafoot), suggesting the player should miss the matches.

He has recommended that the striker should be allowed to rest and Anzhi also offered to treat Eto’o back in Europe if Fecafoot are happy with the arrangement.

However, Eto’o flew to Cameroon on Monday so that the Indomitable Lions’ medical team could examine the injury.

And Finke seems optimistic that Eto’o will be fit to help the Group I leaders - they have six points, one ahead of Libya, while DR Congo have four and Togo just a single point so far.

Played full 120 minutes

Eto’o played the full 120 minutes as his side lost on penalties to CSKA Moscow in the Russian Cup final.

His club commitments also meant he missed Cameroon’s goalless draw in Kiev against Ukraine, in what was Volker Finke’s first match in charge of the Indomitable Lions.

Egypt centre-backs Wael Gomaa and Ahmed Hegazy played significant roles in a 1-1 World Cup warm-up draw with Botswana on Tuesday.

A blunder by Gomaa, 37, gifted the visitors a fifth-minute lead in the international friendly held behind closed doors at the Cairo Air Defence Stadium.

Gomaa from seven-time African club champions Al-Ahly under-hit a back pass to goalkeeper Sherif Ekrami with disastrous consequences.

Democratic Republic of Congo-based striker Jerome Ramatlhakwane chased after the ball and his shot went into the net off Ekrami.

Botswana, ranked 21 places below Egypt in Africa, retained the lead until Hegazy used his height to good advantage on 37 minutes.

Ahmed Hamoudi crossed from the right and a couple of slow-reacting defenders allowed the Egyptian to head down past Kabelo Dambe.

Botswana host Ethiopia on Saturday in a World Cup Group A qualifying fixture and Egypt are away to Zimbabwe in Group G 24 hours later.

Spectators are barred from attending local and international football fixtures in Egypt amid post-Arab Spring security tensions.