Kenya men’s national football team – Harambee Stars – were eliminated from the 2025 Mapinduzi Cup after allowing a late stoppage time goal to lose 1-0 to hosts Zanzibar at Gombani Stadium in Pemba.Stars came into the Friday evening contest needing just a draw to proceed to Sunday’s final against table-toppers Burkina Faso, but that ended up being a tough ask as they fell asleep at a crucial moment, allowing substitute Ali Khatib Inzagi to nod in a Faisal Salum corner in the 93rd minute.FTKenya 0-1 Zanzibar#HarambeeStars #MapinduziCup2025 pic.twitter.com/TACozLx1CS— Harambee Stars (@Harambee__Stars) January 10, 2025 It all seemed to be going the right way for Stars before hell broke loose in the second half as they were first reduced to ten men, before conceding the late goal that sent the watching crowd delirious.A five-minute stoppage of play at the end of the first-half could well have been the starting point of a feisty affair under the lights, as players from both teams clashed following a rash tackle on right-back Rooney Onyango.The emotions spilled over in astonishing fashion in the second period, this time resulting in a wrestling match between incensed Harambee Stars players and the center referee, who on intense provocation, brandished a red card to captain Abud Omar.Abud Omar has picked a very useless red card.He should know better as a captain.— Ole Teya (@TeyaKevin) January 10, 2025 Omar was among four Stars players who accosted the referee in the 68th minute, seemingly aggrieved by a foul called against Alphonce Omija just outside the box.A few blows were exchanged in that moment , with the stoppage extending to nine minutes before Omar exited the field of play to acclaims from the technical bench.The referee throwing a punch. pic.twitter.com/JOMtzCNkl9— Ole Teya (@TeyaKevin) January 10, 2025 That incident, in hindsight, was the first turning point of the match which was then still deadlocked at 0-0, Harambee Stars looking home and dry, and with the help of time-wasting tactics from keeper Faruk Shikhalo.With the obvious lack of attacking intent from Stars, Zanzibar piled on the pressure in the dying minutes of regular time, notably coming close to a winner when Ibrahim Hamad Hilika controlled a pass inside the box, only to fire over.Robert Matano appointed head coach of Tanzanian clubSkipper Salum also attempted from long distance, but his shot trickled wide of Shikhalo’s post.And despite having kept Stars in the game with two brilliant saves from Rashid Said in the first half, Shikhalo was finally breached in the third of 15 minutes of stoppage time, as his strong right palm couldn’t hook away a downward header from Inzagi, who was surprisingly left unmarked inside the box.All his saves and dilly-dallying efforts had come short, and so had Kenya’s exploits in this tournament.##NAJAVA_MECA_8624651##And so while Zanzibar players suck in the adulation from their home support, Kenya’s technical bench continued from where their players left – hurling words at the center referee.Their road comes back to Nairobi, and not to the same venue on Sunday. Not ideal in all facets.
