Harambee Stars head coach Benni McCarthy finally got the clinical response he was demanding from his tactical setup. After a frustrating 1-1 draw against Lesotho in their first international friendly earlier in the week, Kenya bounced back in style at the Lucas Moripe Stadium in Pretoria, South Africa, downing the Crocodiles in an absolute thriller.
The undisputed star of the afternoon was Simba SC maestro Mohamed Bajaber. The midfielder put on a masterclass in spatial awareness and clinical finishing, netting a stunning brace to give Kenya the upper hand and silence the critics who had panned the team’s opening performance.
McCarthy rung several changes to his squad, injecting fresh energy into the midfield, and it paid off instantly. Bajaber opened the scoring in the first half, showing immense composure to break the deadlock and give the technical bench exactly what they were looking for after a week of intense training focused heavily on attacking efficiency.
Lesotho proved to be stubborn opponents once again, refusing to go down without a fight and asking serious questions of the Kenyan backline. However, Bajaber proved to be the ultimate difference-maker. He struck his second of the match to firmly put Kenya in control, sealing a morale-boosting victory for a youthful Harambee Stars outfit that is heavily rebuilding.
With the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) group stage qualifiers on the horizon this September, this double-salvo from Bajaber gives McCarthy plenty of food for thought. Kenya, drawn in a tough Group D alongside South Africa, Guinea, and Eritrea, showed they have the depth and the young firepower to compete when it matters most.
