Harambee Stars Hold Lesotho 1-1 in Pretoria Friendly

Kenya's Harambee Stars returned from South Africa with a hard-earned but ultimately frustrating 1-1 draw against Lesotho in the first of two international friendly matches played at Lucas Moripe Stadium in Pretoria on June 4, 2026.

A Debut to Remember for Odhiambo

The most compelling story of the encounter was the national team debut of Frank Odhiambo, the Gor Mahia centre-back who marked a landmark occasion by opening the scoring for Kenya. Scoring on international debut is a feat relatively few footballers achieve, and Odhiambo's composure in front of goal caught the attention of both the coaching staff and the watching football fraternity.

Lesotho Deny Kenya at the Death

Kenya's advantage proved difficult to protect as Lesotho captain Thabo Makhele rose to meet a late delivery and powered a header past the Kenyan goalkeeper to restore parity at 1-1 in the final minutes.

Eyes Fixed on AFCON 2027

The broader purpose of the South Africa trip was clear: to give Harambee Stars competitive match time and an expanded pool of players ahead of the AFCON 2027 qualifying campaign. The emergence of uncapped players like Odhiambo broadens the selection options available as the qualifiers approach.