Ibrahima Kone was on fire as Mali demolished Kenya’s Harambee Stars 5-0 to continue their stay at the top of the log of Group E in the ongoing CAF Qatar 2o22 World Cup Qualifiers.The 22-year-old had a hand in four of the five goals, scoring three and setting up one other as Mali exerted full dominance over Harambee Stars as Adama Traore and substitute Moussa Doumbia scored the rest.This was Engin Firat’s first and one of the most important assignments since taking over head coach duties at the national team last month on a two-month contract, and clearly that is not how he would have liked to kick off his tenure.Adama Traore opened the scoring after he was played in well by Kone, all this coming on the back of a Joseph Okumu rare error that gifted Mali the ball, and the hosts capitalized on that mistake just 22 minutes into the game.Mali fielded a star-studded side that Firat’s charges could not manage to match at any particular moment in the game in addition to failing to get it right on the right.H.TMali 🇲🇱 4-0 🇰🇪 KenyaAdama Traore 8″Ibrahima Kone 22″Ibrahima Kone 36″Ibrahima Kone 45″ pic.twitter.com/7GJWtCSa88— Harambee Stars (@Harambee__Stars) October 7, 2021 Kone scored his first, and Mali’s second, heading home a Traore header just six minutes after the first goal.It was an evening to forget, particularly for Joash Onyango and Lawrence Juma who could not manage to get to the end of the first half, as they were both replaced with Hassan Abdallah and Erick Zakayo respectively in the 35th minute.The Simba SC defender was deployed on the right as a right-back but that proved to be a wrong and costly decision for Kenya as Mali preferred that specific channel and the first two goals came from that side.The fresh legs were thrown right in the thick of things as Kone scored the third, his second, from a corner barely a minute after they were introduced.Right before the stroke of halftime, substitute Abdallah was ruled to have fouled Mali’s player in the box prompting the referee to point to the spot. Mali 4-0Harambee Stars, me still hoping we win the game 2-0 #HarambeeStars pic.twitter.com/c4nUoM6mDf— Kavulika (@CarvuhDennyc) October 7, 2021 Already on a brace, it was Kone who stepped up to take the resultant spot kick and the Sarpsborg 08 striker made no mistake, blasting the ball onto the roof of the net to grab his hattrick and Mali’s fourth.On resumption, Firat introduced Farouk Shikhalo for Ian Otieno, a substitution that seemed like a scenario of a drowning man clutching on a straw.Harambee Stars showed an improved performance in the second half, but still, they could not cause Mali the necessary trouble to pull at least one back.Sofapaka’s head coach Ken Odhiambo, doubling as one of the assistants in the national team, was vocal throughout the game, motivating his players to keep going.Ghost Mulee watching on like..#HarambeeStars pic.twitter.com/mf7IUD8PK8— Cyro (@otala_cyrus) October 7, 2021 Coach Mohamed Magassouba made changes, and that is where Mali’s fifth goal came from. Lassine Sinayoko and Moussa Doumbia came on for Adama Traore and Moussa Djenepo, and the two combined for the fifth goal.The fifth was a touch of class from Doumbia, as his outfooted shot hit the post before bouncing on Shikalo and into the net.Kenya hosts Mali for the return match at Nyayo National Stadium on Sunday.
