Malian forward Ibrahima Kone completed a first-half hat-trick as Mali returned to the top of Group E of the 2022 Africa World Cup qualifiers with a 5-0 humiliating win over Kenya in Agadir, Morocco.
The host got a fine lead through Adama Traore just eight minutes in the game as the speedy winger squized the ball past Ian Otieno’s legs.
Minutes later, Ibrahima Kone nodded home the second on 21 minutes after another defensive lapse by the Harambee Stars backline.Kone then made it 3-0 nine minutes to the break, this time in an empty net after he fell at the end of a flick after Kenya failed to deal with Traore’s corner.
Mali showed Kenya the off colours in the blink of half-time with Kone completing his hatrick from the penalty spot sending Otieno the wrong way and rifling his shot on the roof after Southampton attacker Moussa Djenepo was brought down inside the area by substitute Abdallah Hassan.
Kenyans halftime change of Shikhalo for Ian Otieno didn’t help anything as the in Stars goalkeeper was unlucky after sending the ball back into his own net after Moussa Doumbia’s initial shot hit the upright on 86 minutes to complete Kenya’s worse loss in over a decade.
However, Kenya did create two sitter chances with the Stars Captain Michael Olunga failing to convert either of the two.
