Stars beat Zimbabwe 3-1 to win Four-Nations tournament

Harambee Stars on Tuesday pulled off a spectacular comeback to clinch the Four Nations Tournament title after beating Zimbabwe 3-1 at the Bingu Stadium in Lilongwe, Malawi, courtesy of a Michael Olunga hat-trick.

The home boys started on a negative footing after a Joseph Okumu blunder in the early stages of the game gifted their opponents the opener and their only goal in the third minute.

But with just two minutes to the break, the talismanic Olunga drew things level after he capitalised on an Ayub Timbe expertly placed pass in the box to beat the Zimbabwean custodian.

Olunga, who plies his trade in Qatar for Al-Duhail, was at it again in the 62nd minute when he surged forward and struck to make things 2-1.

With just four minutes to the final whistle, the sensational striker sealed their opponent’s fate after he pounced on Timbe’s rebound to make things 3-1 and secure the crucial victory for the Stars.

The tournament provided a good platform for the national teams of Kenya, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe to prepare for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in June.

The tournament, which started on March 18, was also a good litmus test for the teams ahead of the 2025 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying campaign.