Harambee Stars seek improved showing against Lesotho in second friendly

Harambee Stars will be aiming for a stronger performance when they face Lesotho in their second international friendly at Lucas Moripe Stadium in Pretoria, South Africa, on Sunday afternoon.

The two sides played out a 1-1 draw in their first meeting on Thursday, with Kenya surrendering an early lead after Lesotho fought back in the second half. Gor Mahia defender Frank Odhiambo had put Harambee Stars ahead in the 12th minute before Thabo Makhele restored parity for the Crocodiles with 20 minutes remaining.

The result left head coach Benni McCarthy frustrated, with the South African tactician admitting that his side fell short of expectations. McCarthy pointed to the number of new faces in the squad as one of the factors behind the disjointed display, but welcomed the opportunity to assess several players at the international level.

With another chance to fine-tune his team, the former Manchester United first-team coach is expected to ring changes as he continues evaluating options ahead of future assignments.

Despite the disappointment of the opening match, Kenya will once again start as favourites on paper. Harambee Stars are ranked 111th in the latest FIFA rankings, significantly ahead of Lesotho, who occupy 145th position.

Assistant coach Vasili Manousakis revealed that the technical bench has spent the last few days addressing shortcomings from the first encounter, particularly in attack, where Kenya created chances but lacked the finishing touch.

"We have worked on a couple of tactical issues that let us down in the first match, especially in the final third, where we created opportunities to score. We have to be much more clinical in converting those chances into goals," said Manousakis.

He added that the coaching staff also intends to hand opportunities to players who did not feature in the first game while maintaining the team's ambition of securing a positive result.

Among those hoping to impress is defender Deon Woodman, who has praised the welcoming atmosphere within the camp as he continues settling into the national team setup.

The defender says representing Kenya is a privilege and is eager to contribute whenever called upon.

With pride, momentum and places in the squad at stake, Harambee Stars will be looking to end the June international window on a winning note and deliver a more convincing display against a determined Lesotho side.