Striker Dennis Oliech celebrated his 19th birthday on Monday with an outstanding performance as Kenya won their first-ever African Cup of Nations match with a 3-0 romp over Burkina Faso.
Oliech scored one and assisted on second-half goals for Emmanuel Ake and Johan Barasa as the Harambee Stars won an African Cup match at their 14th attempt. The first half was scoreless.
Kenya’s win ended Burkina Faso’s slim hopes of reaching the quarterfinals.
Mali and Senegal drew 1-1 in the other Group B match and both advanced to the knockout stage — with Mali topping the group on seven points. Senegal are second with four points, Kenya have three and Burkina Faso one.
Burkina Faso needed to win convincingly, and for Senegal to lose heavily to stand any chance of progressing.
Kenya are participating in their fifth finals. Monday’s win gives them an overall record of one win, four draws, and nine defeats, with seven goals scored and 24 conceded.
In an end-to-end first half, numerous chances were missed.
In the 20th minute, Burkina Faso defender Moussa Ouatara powered a drive straight at goalkeeper Duncan Ochieng — and was then cautioned for bringing down Oliech.
Moumouni Dagano headed over the crossbar as Burkina Faso pressed forward, leaving it vulnerable to counterattack.
A fantastic 70m pass from Adam Wesa then sent Oliech racing clear, only for goalkeeper Mohamed Kabore to deny him with an excellent stop.
From the resulting corner, Oliech’s optimistic scissor-kick flashed wide.
Kenya almost broke the deadlock in the 36th minute, but Mulama’s shot was parried by Kabore.
As Burkina Faso countered instantly, substitute Abdoulaye Cisse almost scored with his first touch, but a clearance by captain Musa Otieno denied him.
In the final action of the opening half, Oliech’s clever back-heel fooled the defence, allowing Mike Okoth time to pick his spot — but the striker blasted wide.
Oliech, who plays in Qatar for Al-Arabi, proved a constant menace and he was at the heart of Kenya’s 51st-minute opening goal.
Collecting the ball 36m out, he used both pace and skill to penetrate into the area, before sliding across a precise ball that gave Ake a simple tap-in.
Oliech should have grabbed Kenya’s second goal, moments later, but his fierce shot sailed wide. He then twice set up chances for Barasa, but the substitute failed to convert.
In the 64th minute, Oliech finally got the goal his performance deserved, when he collected a long pass, skipped round Kabore, and planted the ball into an empty net, before celebrating with a dance around the corner flag.
Oliech recently said he has been contacted by ”four French teams and one from England”. On this showing, he would be a wise investment for any club.
Burkina Faso finished the match with 10 men after Rahim Ouedraogo was sent off in the 76th minute for a crude tackle.
With eight minutes remaining, Oliech danced past three players, feinted to shoot, before back-heeling to Barasa — who completed the scoring with a neat shot. — Sapa-AP