Kenya’s men’s national team, the Harambee Stars, faces a crucial COSAFA Cup Group B match against Zimbabwe this afternoon at Wolfson Stadium in KwaZakele. This game is a must-win for Kenya to keep their hopes alive for a spot in the semifinals.Harambee Stars aim to recover from Sunday’s 2-0 loss to Comoros Island, a defeat significantly impacted by a first-half red card shown to defender Paul Ochuoga, who also conceded a penalty in the process. Despite the setback, Kenya was fortunate not to concede more goals during the match.##NAJAVA_MECA_8186114##Currently third in Group B, Kenya must defeat the group leaders, Zimbabwe, to advance. The Stars won their opening match against Zambia 2-0 but lost to Comoros by the same margin. Zimbabwe, on the other hand, secured victories in their two group games against the Comoros, 1-0 and 2-0, and lead the group with six points.Both Kenya and second-placed Comoros have three points. The Comoros will face already-eliminated Zambia in the other Group C match at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. The three group winners and the best overall runner-up will progress to the semifinals, meaning Kenya must win by at least three goals to top the group.Coach Ken Odhiambo emphasizes the importance of precision and patience in tomorrow’s game.“We need to be clinical, build-up play from the back, and, above all, be confident in our game. The boys had their final training session and we are ready for tomorrow,” he said.Odhiambo acknowledges the challenge ahead, not just in winning but also in bridging the goal difference. “We have to get the three points. This will be the most difficult match because we need to score more goals considering our goal difference.”Reflecting on the match against Comoros, Odhiambo admitted that early mistakes cost them the game.“We shot ourselves in the foot on Sunday. We allowed the Comoros to take control from the start. It was a silly penalty and a silly red card, but this is football, and we learn from our mistakes. I can’t blame the player; he is still young and learning.”The match will kick off at 1 PM EAT, and fans can watch it on FIFA+ and the COSAFA Youtube Channel.COSAFA Cup: Kenya U23 head coach Ken Odhiambo bemoans ‘silly penalty and red card’ in defeat to Comoros
