NAIROBI, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- Kenya suffered a morale-sapping 2-1 defeat to visiting South Sudan in an international friendly in Nairobi on Tuesday.
Coming into the game on the high of having beaten 2022 FIFA World Cup hosts Qatar 2-1 on September 3, Kenya fell to a solitary Tito Okello strike in the match played at the Kasarani stadium.
Okello, who plays for Kenyan Premier League outfit Kenya Police, scored the winner in just the second minute after capitalizing on a defensive blunder from defender Joseph Okumu.
A disciplined South Sudan side then held on for victory despite Kenya's best efforts.
Al Duhail striker and Kenya captain Michael Olunga missed his side's best chance to level the contest in the second half, when he was put through on goal only to fire tamely at the keeper.
The result will pile more pressure on Kenya head coach Engin Firat ahead of the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in November.
Kenya is in Group F of the CAF World Cup qualifiers alongside Cote d'Ivoire, Gabon, Gambia, Burundi and Seychelles.
The east African nation missed out on the 2022 World Cup after failing to advance from the second round of CAF qualification. ■
