Kenya’s World Cup qualifier clash against The Gambia left lasting impressions for defender Abud Omar, who found himself in a direct battle with Brighton forward Yankuba Minteh.
Omar, who featured for the full 90 minutes at Kasarani, admitted he knew little about the Gambian attacker before kickoff, but quickly realised he was up against a player of high quality. For the Kenyan international, the duel turned into a test of resilience and determination.
“He is a good player,” Omar said after the game. “I went one-on-one with him, he won some battles, I won some, but I’m proud of how I handled it. At the end of the day, I play in the Kenyan Premier League and he plays in the English Premier League, so I did my best.”
The opening half, however, proved difficult for the Harambee Stars. Sheriff Sinyan broke the deadlock for The Gambia in the 12th minute before Minteh doubled the advantage midway through the half. Musa Barrow added a third in the 38th minute, leaving Kenya trailing 3-0 at the break.
Despite a spirited second-half response, Kenya could not mount a full comeback. Substitute Ryan Ogam pulled one back in the 81st minute, but the damage was already done. Omar admitted that conceding early goals left the team with an uphill battle.
“We conceded three goals in the first half, so coming back was a mountain to climb,” he reflected. “We did our best in the second half and dominated, but it was too late. We need to rectify those mistakes, avoid conceding first, and take our chances.”
The result leaves Kenya needing to regroup quickly as they prepare for their next qualifier against Seychelles. Unlike The Gambia, Seychelles are already eliminated from the World Cup race, having failed to win a single match so far. Their latest outing ended in a heavy 4-0 defeat to Gabon.
With Harambee Stars desperate to keep their qualification hopes alive, the Seychelles fixture presents an opportunity to bounce back and sharpen their edge. For Omar and his teammates, the lessons from facing players like Yankuba Minteh could provide the experience needed to push forward with renewed confidence.
