Mandela claws Stars a draw from the jaws of Sudan defeat

Harambee Stars had to wait until the final minute of the extra time to force a 1-1 draw against visiting Sudan as coach Stanley Okumbi’s run without victory stretched to a fourth game in charge in yet another limp display.

The captain of the day, Brian Mandela, nodded in the equalizer from a well taken free kick by South Africa based Ali Abondo in stoppage time with the hosts ending with 10 men when Francis Kahata was given his marching orders for a second yellow card.

Six players made their debuts for Stars, including Spain based Ismail Said Athuman Gonzalez who will now declare for Kenya after accepting the invitation from Football Kenya Federation to play for the nation of his father’s birth.

“We played eight of our Under 20 players. It’s good I have identified four that I can add to the team. We were not our best in the first half but we came back strong in the second half. Ouma was superb today, Gonzalez played beyond my expectations because in training he is not as good as he was in the match,” the ever-optimistic Okumbi said post match.

“We appeal to me the fans to come on Sunday, regardless of the performance Harambee Stars remains ours. We need your support,” his field skipper Mandela who was concerned with the low enthusiasm for the team added in being more pragmatic.

“Kenya is a strong side, they have given us a good test going to our weekend’s Afcon qualifier,” Sudan boss Mohammed Abdallah offered.

Kenyan Premier League top scorer and Muhoroni Youth forward Wycliffe Ochomo rattled the woodwork with a thunderous shot in the fifth minute after a pin point cross by Gor Mahia’s Eric ‘Marcelo’ Ouma.

However, the promising start belied what was coming next as the visitors established control with Sudan coming close on the quarter hour mark, when Mohamed Tahir aimed a free kick to the right top corner forcing keeper David Okello to save at full stretch,

Sudan then drew first blood through Hamid Nazar who nicked the ball off Tirus Omondi who was roaming with the ball in front of his own goal before beating the exposed Okello with a thumping finish.

Ochomo thought he had found the equaliser four minutes later for his first international goal when he converted an Ouma cross with a header past Sudan’s keeper but the flag was up for offside.

Okumbi was forced to withdraw Posta Rangers’ Joseph Mbugi for Kahata for more penetration in midfield as Sudan continued to run the home team rugged.

As the teams came on for the second half, the beleaguered first coach turned to Gonzalez, a defensive midfielder by trade to lift his side with Omondi who was also making his debut paying the price for his earlier blunder.

Eight minutes later, he once again turned to the bench for inspiration after an insipid start, with the ineffectual second-tier Kariobangi Sharks player, Ovella Ochieng and Ochomo coming off for Jesse Were and Clifton Miheso of Zambia’s Zesco and AFC Leopards coming on.

Were almost hauled the teams level but his powerful shot inside the box whizzed harmlessly over with Sudan custodian Akram Elhadi beaten.

The scare prompted Sudan’s coach Abdalla to substitute Ramdan Agab with Eltahir Elhag as the home team showed signs of life.

Okumbi tested another debutant, introducing Jaffar Owiti for winger Paul Were, formerly of Greece’s FC Kalloni.

In the 79th Ouma who forced Akram to tip over his delivery straight from a corner that was arching in for what would have been an embarrassing goal for the visiting keeper to concede.

Kahata then saw the red mist when he was sent off for a second bookable offence with five minutes to go after recklessly hacking down Agab but the 10-men rallied to force a result when Mandela struck to snatch a draw from the jaws of defeat.