Kenya’s journey at the COSAFA Cup in South Africa has concluded with an early exit from the group stage after Wednesday’s Group C results did not favor them.The Harambee Stars won two out of their three Group B matches against Zambia and Zimbabwe but suffered a defeat to Comoros. On Wednesday, their hopes hinged on Group C outcomes for a chance to advance to the semifinals.##NAJAVA_MECA_8191939##Heading into their last match, Harambee Stars needed either Angola or Namibia to drop points in their respective games against Lesotho and Seychelles to secure a semifinal slot as the best group runner-up, having lost the top spot in Group B to Comoros on head-to-head results. Ultimately, both Angola and Namibia won their with identical 3-1 score-lines.Kenya faced an early setback when Namibia took the lead against Seychelles from a penalty converted by Bethuel Muzeu in the 11th minute. However, their spirits were lifted 15 minutes later when Lesotho scored through Lehlohonolo Fothoane with a simple tap-in.Angola’s Laurindo Dilson Maria Aurélio equalized from the penalty spot in the 35th minute, a decision heavily contested by Lesotho due to what appeared to be an intentional foul by the defender. Namibia went into halftime with a narrow lead, while Lesotho and Angola were level at the break.Boost for cash-strapped Luanda Villa as they land sponsorship ahead of next seasonThree minutes into the second half, Erastus Kalula doubled Namibia’s advantage against Seychelles, effectively ending Kenya’s hopes of Namibia dropping points. In the 62nd minute, Vidinho headed home Angola’s second goal against Lesotho, sealing Kenya’s fate and extinguishing their chances of reaching the semifinals. Muzeo added a third for Namibia against Seychelles in the 82nd minute. In stoppage time, Angola scored their third against Lesotho through Valdemiro Domingos from another penalty awarded after the goalkeeper committed a foul and was subsequently sent off.In stoppage time of the Namibia game, Seychelles managed to score a consolation goal.In the end, luck was not on the Stars’ side.Kenya was invited to the tournament as a replacement for Malawi, who withdrew following the tragic passing of their president. Harambee Stars opted to field a youthful U23 side composed mainly of players from the Kenyan Premier League.The Ken Odhiambo-coached team will now return to Nairobi in the coming days, shifting their focus to the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers starting in September.Gor Mahia drawn in group of death at CECAFA Kagame Cup
