Here are our player assessments for Harambee Stars following Kenya’s defeat to Gabon in their inaugural World Cup qualifying match.
Harambee Stars commenced their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification journey on a rather disappointing note, succumbing to a 2-1 loss against Gabon, despite initially securing the opening goal.
Several players who participated in the match struggled to justify their inclusion in the lineup, though a few managed to make the most of the opportunity presented to them.
Here are our player ratings from Kenya’s unfortunate loss in Franceville:
- Patrick Matasi – 3
Patrick Matasi demonstrated why he hasn’t been the first-choice goalkeeper since the beginning of the year with his unsteady performance against Gabon. While he didn’t have an outright poor showing individually, it certainly wasn’t a standout one either. He will likely want to forget this performance quickly. Although he couldn’t do much about the second goal, some might argue that he could have done better with the first one. - Amos Nondi – 4
Amos Nondi will want to erase his performance at right-back from memory, especially in his battle against Dennis Bouanga. The Ararat Armenia defender struggled against Bouanga, who persistently ran at him until eventually reaping rewards as Kenya squandered their lead, leading to a 2-1 defeat to the Panthers. It’s a match he’ll likely not look back on fondly. However, he did manage to end the game with an assist by delivering a long cross that was misjudged by the goalkeeper, allowing Masud Juma to head the ball into an empty net. - Abud Omar – 5
Filling in for Erick ‘Marcelo’ Ouma, Omar proved to be one of the more solid defenders on the night. He made a crucial clearance that prevented a certain goal and generally coped well with Gabon’s right-winger threat. - Dennis Ng’ang’a – 5
In his debut appearance, the former Gor Mahia defender didn’t look too shabby, although he initially struggled to adapt to the game’s pace. He’ll likely be disappointed that his first match ended in defeat. - Johnstone Omurwa – 4
Omurwa had a subpar performance and was at fault for the first goal, as his missed header led to Gabon’s equalizer through Bouanga in the 60th minute following a long ball over the top. He appeared lost in the absence of his partner Joseph Okumu and needs improvement for the upcoming match against Seychelles. - Richard Odada – 4
Richard Odada delivered perhaps his worst performance since debuting for Harambee Stars. Normally able to control the game’s tempo, he was effectively neutralized and struggled to get involved in the match. - Anthony Akumu – 4
The former Gor Mahia player looked lost and had a similarly poor performance as Odada on the day. He even earned a booking after fouling one of the Panthers players in the second half. - Masud Juma – 7
Masud Juma scored his second goal in as many international matches, capitalizing on an Amos Nondi cross in the first half. He receives a seven for his goal but had an otherwise average performance. - Rooney Onyango – 8
Rooney Onyango was Kenya’s standout player of the night. He posed a threat with his crosses in the first half, though he was unlucky not to find any of his teammates in the box. He should have earned an assist when he delivered a well-placed ball to Michael Olunga, but the Gabon substitute keeper managed to save Olunga’s resulting header. Amidst a tough day for the team, Onyango can take pride in his performance. - Kenneth Muguna – 2
Kenneth Muguna, the Kenya Police FC midfielder, struggled to make an impact and appeared to be off the pace throughout the game. He couldn’t effectively link the midfield to the attack in possession, and his substitution was likely warranted. - Michael Olunga – 4
Olunga has now gone six matches without finding the back of the net for Harambee Stars. However, he did have a relatively good performance in terms of linking up play and attempting to involve others in the game. Nonetheless, he will need to start scoring goals soon.
Substitutes:
- Duke Abuya – 3
Abuya came on as a substitute for Muguna but had difficulty influencing the game despite having enough time to make an impact. - Daniel Sakari – N/A
- Alfred Scrivren – N/A
- Ayub Timbe – N/A
- Timothy Ouma – N/A
