In a highly competitive Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 qualifier, Kenya’s Harambee Stars put up an impressive defensive display, holding off a dominant Cameroon side for more than 60 minutes.
Although the game ended with a 1-0 defeat, Harambee Stars’ tactical adjustments showcased remarkable improvement compared to their previous encounter with Cameroon.
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Kenya’s Tactical Adjustments: A New Defensive Approach
After a humbling 4-1 defeat to Cameroon in the first leg of the qualifier, Harambee Stars’ head coach, Engin Firat, made significant changes to his lineup and tactical setup for the second leg in Namboole.
Aware of the gaps that Cameroon had exploited in the first match, Firat opted for a more defensive and disciplined approach, setting up his side in a 1-4-4-1-1 formation.
The goal was to deny Cameroon any central progression, forcing them to play wider and preventing them from creating dangerous situations in front of the goal.
Harambee Stars’ defense, particularly the fullbacks Eric Ouma and Daniel Anyembe, were more conservative in this game, rarely pushing forward and focusing on containing Cameroon’s wingers. This approach effectively stifled Cameroon’s attacking play for much of the match.
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Impressive Defensive Lineup
One of the key changes Firat made was bringing in Bandari FC’s Bryne Omondi to replace Patrick Matasi as the goalkeeper. Matasi had been shaky in the first leg, prompting the switch.
In central defense, Joseph Okumu and Johnstone Omurwa formed a new partnership that proved crucial in keeping Cameroon at bay for the better part of the game. Their coordination and ability to cover spaces denied Cameroon clear goal-scoring opportunities for over an hour.
In midfield, Anthony Akumu, Richard Odada, and Duke Abuya worked hard to disrupt Cameroon’s rhythm, while the ever-reliable Michael Olunga led the attack, supported by Rooney Onyango and John Avire on the flanks. This new tactical combination helped Kenya hold Cameroon off until the 63rd minute, when a moment of brilliance from Enow Boris broke the deadlock.
Cameroon’s Tactical Adjustments
Cameroon also made some tactical tweaks, particularly in response to Harambee Stars’ more compact structure.
Cameroon head coach Marc Brys adjusted his team’s formation from the 1-2-1-4-3 setup used in the first leg to a more cautious 3-1-3-3 formation. This allowed left-back Nouhou Tolo to sit deeper, giving Cameroon better defensive cover and space to exploit Kenya’s right wing.
This adjustment was designed to draw out Kenya’s right-winger and create one-on-one opportunities for Cameroon’s star winger, Christian Bassogog. However, Kenya’s fullbacks did an excellent job of limiting Bassogog’s influence, preventing him from finding dangerous positions in the box.
In the build-up phase, Cameroon initially struggled to penetrate Kenya’s compact defensive lines. Their 2-3-2-3 structure allowed them to control possession, but they found it difficult to create clear-cut chances, with midfielder Pierre Kunde struggling to progress the ball forward.
This led to Cameroon relying on wide players like Jackson Tchouatchoua and Bryan Mbeumo to provide attacking options, but even they were largely kept in check.
Kenya’s Midfield Discipline
Harambee Stars’ midfield played a pivotal role in this tactical success. The 1-4-4-1-1 shape employed by Firat meant that every Kenyan midfielder had a specific man-marking role, which frustrated Cameroon’s attempts to dominate the central areas.
The midfield trio of Akumu, Odada, and Abuya showed incredible discipline, pressing when needed and dropping deep when Cameroon tried to overload the central areas.
Harambee Stars’ ability to compact the field when defending was impressive. They dropped into a 1-4-5-1 shape when Cameroon was in possession, leaving little space between the lines for the likes of Zambo Anguissa and Martin Hongla to operate. This forced Cameroon into taking longer routes toward goal, limiting their opportunities to shoot from dangerous areas.
The Decisive Moment: Enow Boris’ Free Kick
As the game wore on, Cameroon began to find more space, particularly as Kenya started to push forward in search of a goal.
This left gaps for the Cameroonians to exploit, and in the 63rd minute, Cameroon finally broke the deadlock with a stunning free-kick from substitute Enow Boris. The left-footer had been brought on to replace Kunde, and his introduction brought more control to Cameroon’s midfield.
Boris’ goal was a moment of individual brilliance, bending the ball past Omondi to give Cameroon the lead. Despite Kenya’s best efforts, they were unable to find an equalizer, and Cameroon held on for a narrow 1-0 victory.
What’s Next for Harambee Stars?
Although the loss was disappointing, Kenya can take plenty of positives from their performance. Firat’s tactical adjustments and the discipline shown by the players indicate that the team is on the right track.
With four points from their AFCON qualifying campaign so far, Harambee Stars still have a slim chance of qualifying if they continue to build on this performance.
Going forward, Kenya will need to find a way to balance their defensive discipline with more attacking prowess. Michael Olunga, the team’s star striker, was often isolated during the game, and finding a way to provide him with more support will be key in future matches.
