NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 26 – On the day he celebrated his 30th birthday, skipper Michael Olunga scored a perfect hatrick as Harambee Stars came from a goal down to beat Zimbabwe 3-1 and clinch the four-nations invitational tournament in Malawi on Tuesday night.
The captain scored the equalizer with his head, the second with his right foot and the third, a bullet from distance, with his stronger left foot.
An own goal from defender Joseph ‘Crouch’ Okumu had seen Kenya go behind early in the game, but Olunga scored right at the end of the first half before doubling his tally midway through the second period.
He then put the game to bed in the 88th minute with a worldie from distance, earning coach Engin Firat back to back victories in Malawi.
The skipper, who plies his trade in Qatar, has now scored five goals in the tournament, after hitting a brace in the opening 4-0 win over hosts Malawi over the weekend.
In a dramatic duel, both teams finished with 10 men with Zimbabwe’s Teenage Hadebe and Kenya’s Richard Odada, both sent off for second yellow cards.
The Warriors coach Norman Mapeza was also sent off for protesting a decision not to award his team a penalty, the confrontations that stemmed therein having earned Odada his first yellow.
Coach Engin Firat went with the same 11 that started against Malawi, showing faith in his squad.
But, Kenya had a slow start and were punished just four minutes into the match when Okumu directed the ball into his own net as he tried to cut off a cross from the right.
The early goal saw the Warriors play with some bit of more confidence and they almost scored a second in the ninth minute when Tino Kadewere pulled a piledrive from distance, but Patrick Matasi made a full stretched save to turn the ball behind for a corner.
Ayub Timbe had a chance on the other end when a deep pass from Teddy Akumu found his run, but the winger’s attempt to lift the ball over the keeper ended wide.
After 25 minutes, coach Firat made changes to his team, pulling out Chris Erambo who was earning his second cap and bringing in Kenneth Muguna in a bid to stabilize his midfield.
Stars levelled at the stroke of halftime, when Olunga headed home from a precise Timbe cross. Going to the break tied, gave the Kenyan boys improved confidence.
In the second half, there was a long stoppage six minutes in when the Zimbabwe bench protested what they thought was a penalty and the confrontations led to coach Mapeza being sent off and Odada yellow carded.
Four minutes later, Zimbabwe were reduced to 10 men when Hadebe was sent off for a second yellow for dissent. Kenya made a bid to use the one man advantage, by pushing Zimbabwe to defend in their own half.
Odada came close to an equalizer in the 59th minute when he struck a shot from range but the keeper calmly collected. Four minutes later though, Stars were ahead.
Timbe was once again integral as he made a run on the right to cut in a cross which the keeper spilled and Olunga pounced to score on his weaker right foot.
The tables almost turned in the 73rd minute when the numbers were balanced, Odada red carded for poking out an elbow as he tussled for the ball.
But, Stars were on the ascendancy in terms of tempo and dominating possession and Olunga almost had a third in the 82nd minute when he tried to flick Timbe’s cross at the near post but it was blocked.
Three minutes to the end though, the birthday boy put the icing on the cake. Timbe’s shot from inside the box was blocked by the keeper and the rebound rolled to Olunga on the volley, the skipper striking a super shot that flew into the roof of the net.
Coach Firat will pick massive confidence from the tour of Malawi, two wins and a widening pool of players giving him lots of happiness ahead of June, when Kenya plays African champions Ivory Coast and Burundi in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
