Amos Nondi emerged as the hero for the national football team, Harambee Stars, scoring a dramatic 90th-minute winner in their friendly match against Asian champions Qatar at the Al Janoub Stadium in Doha on Thursday evening.
Joseph Okumu opened the scoring for the Stars, but Hassan Al Haydos equalized for the 2022 World Cup hosts, setting the stage for Nondi’s late-game heroics.
The match was marked by a strong Kenyan presence in the Qatari capital, with Kenyan fans purchasing 11,000 of the 15,000 tickets sold for the game.
The deadlock was broken in the 19th minute when Joseph Okumu powered a header into the net from a well-placed corner by Kenneth Muguna. Before this goal, both teams had their chances to score. In the 13th minute, Michael Olunga, playing in the country where he competes in club football, had a golden opportunity to put Kenya ahead. However, his shot on goal was blocked by the opposing keeper’s feet.
Kenya’s Eric Ouma set up another chance three minutes later, sending Masud Juma through, but once again, the keeper thwarted the attempt with his legs. Qatar also had their opportunity before the goal, with Bassam Al Rawi’s header from a corner narrowly missing the target.
Skipper Hassan Al Haydos levelled the score for Qatar in the 34th minute, converting from the penalty spot after a foul in the box. In the second half, coach Engin Firat made personnel changes, bringing on Ayub Timbe for Elvis Rupia to add a more direct winger to the squad.
However, Qatar had the upper hand at the start of the second half. Three minutes in, a defensive mistake almost saw the hosts take the lead, but Ahmed Alaa’s shot went wide.
In the 67th minute, Abdulaziz Hatem’s snapshot was deflected behind for a corner, but Stars managed to defend the setpiece.
As the game wore on, Harambee Stars kept up the fight, with Nondi and Duke Abuya coming on to bolster the midfield.
It was Nondi who ultimately made the decisive impact, side-footing the ball home from close range in the 90th minute after some excellent work from Olunga.
The victory is a significant morale boost for Harambee Stars and coach Firat, especially considering they were up against a team ranked much higher than them.
