Harambee Stars coach Francis Kimanzi appeared satisfied with the 1-1 draw against Burkina Faso in their opening match of the Mapinduzi Cup, held on Saturday evening at Gombani Stadium in Zanzibar.Kenya took the lead just before halftime through KCB forward James Kinyanjui, but their hopes of victory were dashed in the dying moments when Aboubakar Traore’s diving header earned Burkina Faso a late equalizer. The goal sparked controversy, as it appeared Traore was offside, but it stood, leaving both teams to share the spoils.##NAJAVA_MECA_8609912##The Kenya squad, comprised of local-based players who are expected to form the core of the CHAN team, had only a week of preparation. Despite that, they delivered a spirited performance and seemed on course for a confidence-boosting win before the late setback in what was an entertaining encounter.In his post-match interview, Kimanzi, serving as interim coach before transitioning to his new role as technical director, expressed satisfaction with the team’s overall performance despite the last-minute disappointment. He acknowledged the challenge of a first game in any tournament but was pleased with the display.“The first game is always difficult because the players are not fully settled, but I believe they handled it well until the very end. There’s definitely something we can build on, and we leave with a sense of satisfaction,” he said.Kenya’s representatives at CAF girls’ U17 tournament drawn in Group A“They gave their all, but it wasn’t enough to secure the win. The first game often comes with nerves, and we didn’t have the intensity we needed throughout. That’s why we made changes—to protect our lead and push for a second goal.”Looking ahead, Kimanzi is optimistic about the upcoming match against Kilimanjaro Stars. “We’ll prepare well for the next game because we need to play at our best and aim for a win,” he added.Kenya will face Kilimanjaro Stars on Tuesday, followed by their final group match against Zanzibar Heroes on Friday evening.Late equaliser denies Harambee Stars victory against Burkina Faso View this post on Instagram A post shared by Mapinduzi cup (@mapinduzicup)
