Aubameyang World Cup brace boosts Gabon and sinks Kenya

Johannesburg: Former Arsenal and Barcelona striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored twice to give Gabon a crucial 2-1 win over Kenya in an African 2026 World Cup qualifier on Sunday.

The 35-year-old, who now plays in the Saudi Pro League, struck after 16 and 52 minutes in front of a sell-out 15,000 crowd in Nairobi before Michael Olunga reduced arrears on 62 minutes.

Securing maximum points took Gabon to 15 in Group F. Reigning African champions Ivory Coast have 13, Burundi seven, Kenya six, Gambia four and Seychelles none. Ivory Coast host Gambia on Monday and Burundi have home advantage over Seychelles on Tuesday in other matchday six fixtures.

Barring a dramatic collapse by either team, Gabon and Ivory Coast, who meet in September, look set to battle for first place. The nine group winners automatically qualify for the expanded 48-nation World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

There could be a 10th African qualifier as the four best-ranked runners-up enter a mini-tournament. The winners advance to inter-continental play-offs offering two finals slots. Trailing Gabon by nine points with just four matches to play, Kenya are all but out of contention for a first appearance at the global showpiece.

New coach Benni McCarthy, the former Manchester United assistant coach and star South Africa forward, can now concentrate on the African Nations Championship, which Kenya co-hosts in August. A couple of veterans combined to put Gabon ahead with Serbia-based 34-year-old Guelor Kanga crossing for unmarked Aubameyang to fire across goalkeeper Ian Otieno and into the net. Kenya captain Olunga was a constant threat and hit the post and headed another attempt wide before half-time in the first international hosted by Kenya since 2021.