Kenya and Namibia conclude AFCON qualifiers with lacklustre draw in Polokwane

Harambee Stars players in a past match [Harambee Stars, Twitter] 

Kenya and Namibia played out a goalless draw in their final 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane, South Africa, on Tuesday, November 19. Both teams had already been eliminated from Group J contention, rendering the clash a formality.

The encounter lacked spark and left fans in attendance with little to cheer about. The first half saw a flurry of missed chances, with Kenya coming closest to breaking the deadlock. Richard Odada narrowly missed the target in the seventh minute with a header from a corner. Alfred Scriven followed suit nine minutes later, failing to find the net with his header, and Johnstone Omurwa added to the frustrations with a glancing effort that skimmed past the post in the 19th minute.

Namibia’s best chance of the opening half came in the 24th minute when Charles Hambira headed just wide from Riaan Hanamub’s cross. However, neither side managed to register a shot on target in the first 45 minutes.

The second half continued in a similar vein, with few meaningful attempts on goal. Substitute Bethuel Muzeu tried a speculative long-range effort in the 75th minute but sent the ball soaring over the crossbar. Kenya’s goalkeeper Bryne Odhiambo made the game’s only notable save in the 81st minute, denying Elmo Kambindu’s header from Ngero Katua’s delivery.

Both teams will rue a disappointing qualification campaign, marked by just one victory combined. For the Harambee Stars and the Brave Warriors, the final whistle in Polokwane signaled an unremarkable conclusion to their AFCON journey.