Kenya was knocked out of the Africa Cup Of Nations Tournament at the first hurdle for the 6th time. Sebastian Migne’s side lost two and won one in the 32nd edition of the biennial tournament held in Cairo. After missing out for 15 years, Harambee Stars inexperience was exposed by Algeria in the first match and Senegal in the final group C Match.
Below, we look at the main lessons that can be picked from the typically short-lived tournament from Kenya.
Migne’s team still a work in progress
Robbed of his best center back pairing due to injury, head coach Sebastian Migne had to make do with a few forced changes on his plans. Some worked while a few backfired in spectacular fashion.
Joseph Okumu proved himself to be a capable starter for the team moving forward but Francis Kahata’s future is possibly at risk following his dismal performances. Eric Ouma and Johanna Omollo are also worth having around but questions marks remain on a few others, especially the defenders.
There were signs that Migne’s building process is on the right track, he deserves a few more years to complete his task.
Kenya still a long way off
Let’s face it, Harambee Stars performances against Senegal and Algeria were always going to be the real measure of how good Kenya’s football is. Based on the two matches, the harsh reality is that Kenya is not ready to compete at the highest level and against the best sides.
The win over Tanzania was all good for the bragging rights and morale but even against the ‘weaker’ Taifa Stars, the team did not give a convincing performance.
There is still a long way to go before Kenya can put in a dominant performance at the grandest stage but that will come with experience and more entries in such tournaments.
Uganda has qualified for the last two editions and their progress as a team has been clear for everyone to see in this year’s tournament, Harambee Stars could learn from that.
What did you make of Kenya’s showing at the Africa Cup Of Nations? Share your thoughts in the comments section below…