Harambee Stars were outshone 3-0 by Ivory Coast in a one-sided 2026 World Cup qualifier match at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Abidjan on Tuesday evening. Ivory Coast beat Kenya to qualify for World Cup 2026. Ivory Coast walked into the game knowing that a win would guarantee their place in next year’s tournament. Kenya had already been eliminated and were just playing for pride. How Ivory Coast beat Kenya Head coach Benni McCarthy started with a rather defensive line-up, opting for a back five to combat the offensive hosts.
It didn’t take long for the gap between the two teams to show as Ivory Coast were the first ones off the mark. Amad Diallo danced past Manzur Okwaro before conjuring a defence-splitting pass that set up his captain, Franck Kessie, to score the first goal. The hosts didn’t let up with Kessie almost doubling the lead shortly after, only to be denied by a smart stop from Bryne Omondi. Ivory Coast players celebrate during a past match. Former Arsenal winger Nicolas Pepe wasted a glorious opportunity to extend their lead after he hit the side netting after skipping past Omondi. The biggest compliment of the game was that the half ended with only a one-goal advantage for the relentless Ivory Coast. At the start of the second half, McCarthy rejigged his line-up again, taking off Alphonce Omija and Alpha Onyango and bringing on Job Ochieng and Adam Wilson. Kenya started the second half much better than how they played in the first 45, but failed to master anything meaningful to trouble Yahia Fofana in the Ivory Coast goal. Yan Diomande, who was a constant threat down the left wing all evening with his quick feet, was finally rewarded.
The RB Leipzig striker ran almost the entire half-pitch before unleashing a ferocious shot that flew past Omondi as Ivory Coast finally extended their lead.Amad Diallo’s free-kick McCarthy took out Michael Olunga, who was ineffective, replacing him with Duke Abuya in the 67th minute. Heavy rainfall threatened to spoil the game, with both teams struggling to pass the ball. Collins Shichenje fouled Sebastian Haller near the edge of the area. Diallo took the resultant free-kick to seal the deal for Emerse Fae’s charges. Who will play in World Cup 2026 playoffs? The loss saw Kenya finish fourth in their group with 12 points, scoring 18 goals and conceding 14. Ivory Coast topped the group with 26 points without conceding any goals. Gabon beat Burundi in the other game to finish second and qualify for the playoff stages. Gambia, who earlier annihilated Seychelles 7-0, settled for third place, just ahead of Kenya.
By Martin Moses
