Why Kenya was eliminated from the COSAFA Cup despite finishing second in Group B

Emerging Stars pose for a group photo before the game against Zambia (C) COSAFA MEDIA

Kenya's Emerging Stars delivered a commendable group stage performance, securing two decisive 2-0 victories over Zambia and Zimbabwe, though a crucial loss to Comoros ultimately prevented their advancement in the COSAFA Cup.

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Kenya's Emerging Stars will not progress further in this year's COSAFA Cup, despite securing second place in Group B with two wins out of three matches.

Kenya's elimination was sealed when both Angola and Namibia won their respective matches against Lesotho and Seychelles, each finishing Group C with seven points. This result ensured they claimed the remaining semifinal spots.

Kenya had hoped to advance to the semifinals as the best second-placed team, but Namibia, with seven points in Group C, took that slot.

The Emerging Stars secured 2-0 victories against defending champions Zambia and Zimbabwe but a 2-0 loss to Comoros in their second match was critical. This loss prevented them from topping the group.

Comoros ultimately led Group B by defeating Kenya and Zimbabwe in their head-to-head record. All three teams won against Zambia but only took three points off each other.

With all three teams finishing on six points, their results against Zambia were excluded, and rankings were based on goal difference and goals scored.

This tie-breaking criteria favored Comoros, who lost 1-0 to Zimbabwe but defeated Kenya 2-0 and Zambia 1-0, giving them a superior goal difference (+1) compared to Kenya's zero (0) and Zimbabwe's -1.

Kenya’s hopes then depended on either Angola or Namibia not winning their final Group C matches against Lesotho and Seychelles, but both teams secured victories.

The 2024 COSAFA Cup features twelve teams divided into three groups of four. Group A included hosts South Africa, Botswana, Mozambique, and eSwatini, while Group C consisted of Angola, last year's runner-up Lesotho, Namibia, and Seychelles.

The best team from each group advanced automatically to the semifinals, with the remaining slot going to the best second-placed team.

Mozambique, Comoros, and Angola finished as group winners, and Namibia advanced as the best second-placed team.

Despite the disappointment, the Emerging Stars should take pride in their performance, marking an improvement from Kenya's previous COSAFA Cup appearance in 2013, where they collected four points with one win, one draw, and one loss.