A hattrick from Seck Harona was all Senegal needed to open their Africa Deaf Ball Games Qualifiers with a 3-1 win over hosts Kenya. Kenya’s captain Bashir Yahye scored the consolation for the beaten home boys.Philemon Ekipotet’s charges not only finished the game on the losing end, but also with a man less following the sending off of Gasper Asituha with nine minutes left to play.Kenya’s captain Bashir Yahye led by example and opened the scoring just 21 minutes into the game after a defensive mishap and a communication error between Senegal’s goalkeeper Diaw Mouhamadou and his defenders, with Bashir picking a loose ball and chipping over the goalkeeper to see Kenya lead.#KickOffDeaflympics FT’ Kenya 1-3 Senegal pic.twitter.com/DDwnZSD2ld— Africa Deaf Ball Games Qualifiers (@ADBGQ2021) September 11, 2021 Kenya’s lead would last only six minutes as Harona found the net with a feeble left-footed shot that looked easier to catch for Kenya’s custodian Thor Mwai but the ball went under his arms and into the net for the equalizer.Harona would then strike again just at the end of the first half, this time from the penalty spot and made no mistake as he hammered the ball into the net and wheeled away in celebrations.Kenya started the game on a high, stringing beautiful passes but Senegal gradually grew into the game and took dominance within no time.Senegal thought they had taken the lead just 20 minutes into the game through Ndao Assane but the Senegalese was ruled to have encroached in the Kenyan territory.#KickOffDeaflympics 61′ Seck Harona Kenya 1-3 Senegal pic.twitter.com/gCNaPRAjeV— Africa Deaf Ball Games Qualifiers (@ADBGQ2021) September 11, 2021 Thor Mwai was firm in goal for Kenya in the initial stages, keeping the scores level for some time but later ended up making some cheap errors that saw Senegal assume the driving seat in the game.Kenya’s defender Eugene Nyasasi was outstanding on his own despite the loss, doing the dirty work when need be and starting play from the back, and making it look easy.On resumption, Kenya came back with hopes of at least finding the equalizer that would have propelled them to go for the kill but it was not to be.With a more comfortable start to the second half, Senegal took full charge and dictated play, leaving the hosts no chances.It was Harona who grabbed the third goal for Senegal, completing his hattrick just after the stroke of the hour mark, again from a ball that Mwai could have easily collected initially.#KickOffDeaflympics 69′ Kennedy Kilonzo miss a golden chance to revive chances for Kenya pic.twitter.com/lz82FPSoNO— Africa Deaf Ball Games Qualifiers (@ADBGQ2021) September 11, 2021 Kennedy Kilonzo could have gotten a goal back for Kenya in the 69th minute from a freekick but his effort came off the post, and back into the field of play.Senegal held on to their lead to full time, a result that now sees them lead group A that has Kenya, Senegal and Mali.
