PLAYER RATINGS: Odada oozes class as Olunga fires blanks in Russia draw

Stayed ready albeit starting from the bench. Was called up to the fray to replace injured Bryne Omondi in the 15th minute and didn’t disappoint. He was commanding in goal and pulled some impressive saves when called upon to do so. Ultimately conceded late on, but takes nothing away from his first involvement since March.

Solid in the first half and played a role in Kenya’s second goal with his in-swinging delivery of a corner. Dealt well with Maksim Mukhin but was out-done by substitute Aleksandr Silyanov in the late equalizer.

Maintained a solid partnership with Okumu in defense but we will all have to look at his costly miss-pass from the back and into the path of Mukhin that ended up gifting Russia with the opening goal of the contest.

Steady all through the game. Didn’t put a foot wrong and was always at hand to drift to the right in aid of Amos Nondi. Easily Kenya’s best center back who outgrew his South Sudan sub-par performance.

Now operating as the team’s right back. Was okay defensively thanks to an overlapping Rooney Onyango but his deliveries – either on set pieces or launching quick counter attacks – were way off.

For a deep midfielder to go full-on press on Dmitri Barinov and slot in Kenya’s equalizer, he set the tone for the rest of the squad by throwing his body on challenges, and was key in attack. Should have had an assist on his name were it not for Olunga’s 50th minute miss.

Feels like a broken record by now. His influence ought to have been much better than a looping headed ball into the box that ended up deflecting off Georgi Dzhikiya for Masud Juma’s goal. Was visibly an invisible figure in the game.

Work horse. Explains why he is making waves at his club. Was the engine driving the team from the middle. Never tired, connected beautiful passes across the park – one that led Olunga for a potential third goal – and almost left his opponent with his shirt as he skipped past him. Oh! Our Man of the Match.

What a way to make a national team debut. Played further forward from his usual right back position? No problem. He was all over that right touch-line and even offered channels to cross the ball into the box. A late yellow for timewasting won’t affect his display.

Had that kind of night where everything couldn’t go his way. A clear miss was visible when Akumu fed him the ball in Kenya’s opener, and had two one on one opportunities that he hit wide. A yellow card for his protestations with the referee capped his poor show.

Initially played as a twin striker but stayed on the left midway through the first half. Was a little uninvolved with much of the attack coming through the right and in the middle. Showed proper striker’s instincts and composure in scoring the team’s second goal while capitalizing from the deflection that did away with his offside position.

Quite unlucky to leave the game after 14 minutes with a left foot injury. Still saw him concede the opening goal, with nothing much he could have done.

Came in after the hour mark for Masud Juma but struggled to make any impact. A late foul and several cut-out dribbles wasn’t it.

Another late cameo (thus no rating) on the road saw him in the middle of a sleek left foot touch from Ivan Oblyakov that leveled matters for Russia.

Thrown in late on for Rooney Onyango. No rating for him.