Makhele’s header secure battling draw for Likuena

MIKIA KALATI and

NTHAKO MAJORO

PRETORIA – Thabo Makhele’s second-half header earned Lesotho a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Kenya in an international friendly at the Lucas Moripe Stadium in Pretoria yesterday afternoon.

The Harambee Stars made the brighter start to the contest, with Gor Mahia defender Frank Odhiambo putting Benni McCarthy’s side ahead inside the opening 13 minutes. Odhiambo capitalised on a set-piece opportunity, meeting a well-delivered ball in the centre of the penalty area to smash home a right-footed shot – his first-ever goal for Kenya.

McCarthy’s side bossed possession after that breakthrough and looked to double their advantage, but Lesotho’s defence held firm under sustained pressure.

Likuena coach Bob Mafoso responded with an early tactical switch before halftime, replacing debutant Morena Moloi with experienced campaigner Tšepo Toloane. The substitute helped stabilise the midfield as Lesotho slowly wrestled for possession, though Kenya still took a 1-0 lead into the break.

Moloi and goalkeeper Leluma Mofoka were handed starts ahead of captain Sekhoane Moerane, with both making their senior debuts for Likuena.

Kenya almost doubled their lead through a lethal counter-attack when Odhiambo threaded a low pass to Zech Obiero on the wing, but Obiero’s effort was deflected wide for a corner.

Lesotho emerged with renewed purpose in the second half and pushed relentlessly for an equaliser. The reward arrived in the 69th minute when Makhele rose high in the centre of the penalty box to head home into an empty net after Kenya failed to clear their lines from a Rethabile Mokokoane free kick.

The stadium erupted as Likuena’s bench celebrated a goal that had been coming.

Motebang Sera almost put Lesotho ahead for the first time in the 78th minute, outpacing two Kenyan defenders with a blistering run, but goalkeeper Kramer Caleb produced a vital save to keep the scores level.

Both teams created late chances in an end-to-end finish, with Lesotho debutant shot-stopper Leluma Mofoka pulling off several impressive saves on his first international outing. The two countries will face off again at the same venue on Sunday.

The match forms part of both teams’ preparations for the CAF TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations 2027 group stage qualifiers, which kick off in September.

Lesotho advanced past Seychelles in the preliminary round, winning 2-1 on aggregate, and now face a daunting Group A assignment against Morocco, Gabon and Niger. Kenya, by contrast, did not feature in the preliminary round after securing automatic host exemption, having successfully won joint hosting rights alongside Uganda and Tanzania.

The Harambee Stars have been drawn against South Africa’s Bafana Bafana, Guinea and Eritrea in Group D.

Mafoso was pleased with the test his team received against a physical Kenya side and impressed with how they fought back from a goal down to salvage a draw.

“I think Kenya tested us a lot. Every duel, I think they came out on top and in one-on-one situations, but that’s when we started playing together and became compact,” Mafoso said.

“When we watched their matches, we wanted to make sure that their wingers don’t play, but they created a new problem with two number 10s playing in the half-spaces and loading our fullbacks. You could say we could have done better, but this is the test we wanted and we are happy we played this game.”

McCarthy, the former South Africa and Porto striker, sang the praises of Likuena and said he admired the mentality displayed while trailing his team.

“I’m very impressed. The mentality that these players have – they work extremely hard for each other and they are very honest,” McCarthy said.

“That’s always nice as a coach if you manage a bunch of players who are honest, work hard, complement each other and their heads don’t drop when they’ve gone 1-0 down.

“It’s a very good quality to have. I remember watching them in your match against Nigeria and I couldn’t believe how unfortunate they were to lose by a penalty against the Super Eagles. Very recommendable. Today I saw a lot of those qualities I saw during the World Cup qualifiers.”

The AFCON 2027 group stage qualifiers will be contested across three international windows, running from September 2026 through March 2027. For both Lesotho and Kenya, this friendly series serves as a crucial measuring stick ahead of those decisive encounters.

The second leg takes place on Sunday at the same venue, with both coaches expected to rotate their squads and give further opportunities to fringe players and debutants.