Cameroon has qualified for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations after a 1-0 victory over Kenya’s Harambee Stars on Monday evening at the Mandela National Stadium in Uganda.
The win, their second consecutive triumph over Kenya, secured their place at the continental showpiece in Morocco, further solidifying their position at the top of Group J with 10 points.
Kenya, who were looking to bounce back from last week’s heavy 4-1 defeat in Yaoundé, showed a marked improvement but still fell short in their quest to qualify. The Harambee Stars had multiple opportunities to score, but poor finishing and a resolute Cameroonian defense saw them remain third in the group with just four points.
For Kenya to have any hope of making it to AFCON, they must now win their remaining two matches against Zimbabwe and Namibia and hope that Zimbabwe, who are second, lose all their remaining fixtures.
The match started on a balanced note, with both teams cautiously exchanging passes.
Kenya, determined not to repeat their defensive errors from the previous fixture, looked solid at the back.
Byrne Odhiambo, who replaced Patrick Matasi in goal, made his presence felt early on when he denied Vincent Aboubakar’s low shot from the edge of the box in the 14th minute.
Cameroon applied pressure on the Kenyan defense with wingers Bryan Mbeumo and Nicolas Moumi Ngamaleu creating problems on the flanks. However, Kenya’s full-backs Erick Ouma and Johnstone Omurwa did well to contain their threats.
The Harambee Stars’ best chance of the first half came in the 21st minute when Michael Olunga robbed Jean-Charles Castelletto in the Cameroonian defense. Rather than taking the shot himself, Olunga passed to Duke Abuya, who set up John Avire, only for the forward to blast the ball wide under pressure from Michael Ngadeu.
Cameroon came close to taking the lead several times, with Pierre Kunde missing a one-on-one opportunity and Nouhou Tolo’s goal being ruled offside after a controversial free-kick in the 40th minute. The two sides headed into halftime deadlocked at 0-0.
In the second half, Cameroon’s dominance grew, with Michael Ngadeu’s powerful header being denied by a brilliant save from Odhiambo in the 51st minute.
Kenya almost grabbed the lead just moments later when Ronney Onyango’s shot from inside the box struck the post, and Olunga missed the rebound with the goal wide open.
The breakthrough finally came for Cameroon in the 63rd minute when substitute Boris Enow unleashed a stunning left-footed free kick that flew past Odhiambo, who had been exceptional throughout the match.
The goal deflated Kenya’s momentum, and although the Harambee Stars pushed for an equalizer in the dying minutes, they squandered key chances from the wings.
Cameroon’s victory ensured their qualification for AFCON 2025, while Kenya’s road to Morocco has become significantly more challenging.
Harambee Stars now face the uphill task of winning their final two matches and hoping for favorable results from Zimbabwe’s games to keep their slim hopes of qualification alive.
