Harambee Stars captain Abud Omar was punched by the centre referee after an altercation in Kenya’s 1-0 loss to Zanzibar in the ongoing Mapinduzi Cup taking place in Pemba, Zanzibar.Kenya took on hosts Zanzibar in their third match at the Mapinduzi Cup that was played on Friday 10 January at the Gombani Stadium.Postmortem of Harambee Stars horror show compounded by Abud Omar’s shameful red cardIn the match that was marred by numerous controversies, Harambee Stars needed at least a draw to proceed to the finals but conceded a late goal in the third minute of second half added time courtesy of second half substitute Ali Khatib Inzagi who nodded home a Feisal Salum corner.In a match that was punctuated by boiling tempers, hard tackles and controversial calls, the most controversial and peculiar incident of the match occurred in the 68th minute.##NAJAVA_MECA_8624816##Omar and the Kenyan team seemed to have been aggrieved by the referee’s decision to give a call against Harambee Stars when Gor Mahia midfielder Alphonce Omija seemed to have fouled an opponent five yards from the box.Captain wa Harambee stars, Aboud Omar, alipigwa ngumi na refa after kukulishwa red card 🟥 game ya Haramabee stars Vs Zanzibar.Kenya were eliminated 1-0 by Zanzibar #MapinduziCup2025 Tune in to #Offside for more pic.twitter.com/BEnJYbmEXx— Ghetto Radio (@GhettoRadio895) January 11, 2025 The protest went overboard and with Omar leading the team to seek answers from the referee, the Tanzanian match official lost his cool and punched the Kenya Police defender according to the match replays.Harambee Stars eliminated from Mapinduzi Cup after conceding late winnerIn the melee, the referee brandished a red card to Omar and in what seems to be a developing habit of the former Tusker FC defender, he grabbed the card from the referee and took slightly over five minutes to leave the pitch.With Kenya short in numbers, Zanzibar pushed hard for a winning goal and got their reward in the 93rd minute.##NAJAVA_MECA_8624828##Both teams ended the match with 10 players after a Zanzibar defender was red-carded in the 98th minute but his teammates held on to their lead until the final whistle.Emotions continued after the final whistle with Harambee Stars goalkeeper trainer Arnold Origi confronting the referee to protest the manner in which the match was handled.Zico to remain Gor Mahia coach until end of seasonKenya exited the competition and Zanzibar will now face Burkina Faso in the finals set for Monday 13 January 2025.Harambee Stars who were using the tournament as part of their preparations for the upcoming 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN) will have to go back to the drawing board and make amends before the continental tourney.##NAJAVA_MECA_8624859##
