KENYA'S National Team Harambee Stars have been knocked out of the 2025 Mapinduzi Cup following a 1-0 loss to tournament hosts Zanzibar on Friday night at the Gombani Stadium in Pemba Island.
Following a 1-1 draw with Burkina Faso and a 2-0 win over Tanzania in their first two matches of the tournament, Kenya went into the match needing only a draw to meet Burkina Faso in the final of the four-team friendly tournament which will take place on Monday, January 13, at the Gombani Stadium.
A draw would have put Kenya on five points, two behind Burkina Faso who qualified for the final after collecting seven points from two wins (2-0 against Tanzania and 1-0 against Zanzibar) and one draw.
On their part, Zanzibar had to win the match to edge Kenya on the head-to-head record and ended up doing exactly that.
After a goalless first half, Harambee Stars were reduced to 10 men in the 67th minute when captain Abud Omar was shown a red card for protesting a yellow card that had been given to him.
Zanzibar then sealed the win in stoppage time after substitute Ali Khatib headed in a corner taken by Fei Toto in the 93rd minute.
However, Kenya would feel hard done by the standard of officiating as Kenya not only had most decisions going against them, but the referee added 15 minutes of injury time with Zanzibar aggressively pushing for a winner.
The Mapinduzi Cup is hosted to commemorate the Zanzibar Revolution of January 12, 1964, and with the hosts set to feature in the tournament’s final, the Island will be in a carnival mood as the Zanzibar Heroes hope to lift the trophy in front of jubilant home fans.