•Tito Okello's first-half effort was all that the Bright Stars of Sudan needed to beat Harambee Stars at the Moi Stadium, Kasarani on Tuesday.
Image: CHARLENE MALWA
Harambee Stars head coach Engin Firat left the stadium fuming after his charges crashed at home in a closely-contested international friendly match against South Sudan.
Tito Okello's first-half effort was all that the Bright Stars of Sudan needed to beat Harambee Stars at the Moi Stadium, Kasarani on Tuesday.
The Turkish coach criticised his striking force for proving blunt in key moments.
"We simply lost it today. We appeared disjointed and couldn't score even the easiest of chances that came our way," Firat lamented.
"We need to be consistent if we want to accomplish any ambitions we have of performing well in the World Cup qualifiers that begin later in the year," Firat said.
The Turkish gaffer said he was disappointed that his star-studded squad could not replicate the sublime form they exhibited against Qatar in Doha four days ago.
"We looked excellent against Qatar and I thought we might play even better against South Sudan but everything ended in disaster. We have to work on our weak spots as a team and the players owe us more commitment," Firat added.
As Firat bemoaned a bad day in the office, his opposite number Stephen Hen was all smiles at the full-time whistle.
"I'm satisfied with the results. We generally played a good match and I'm urging my players to maintain the momentum," Hen remarked.
"A good number of our players are familiar with Kenyan football because they either play here or have done so before and that also worked well in our favour," he added.
The hosts will rue two glaring chances including two sitters squandered by midfielder Kenneth Muguna and skipper Michael Olunga on both ends of the interval.
The Kenyan lads looked clueless in the attacking third despite hogging most of the possession.
South Sudan agile custodian Majak Mawith was the toast for the nation after stretching full length to punch out Muguna's rasping shot on the edge of the box in the first half.
Mawith then made a kneejerk dash away from the goal to thwart a threat from Olunga, who was torn between lobbing the ball over the keeper or dodging him.
This was the first time South Sudan beat Kenya in their five international encounters thus far.