Harambee Stars assistant coach Vasili Manousakis was satisfied with Kenya’s performance despite a goalless draw against Rwanda in an international friendly at Amahoro Stadium in Kigali on Monday night.Kenya went into the encounter looking to bounce back from a disappointing start to their AFCON 2027 qualifying campaign. Download our Mozzart Sport App for more newsPrior to the match against Rwanda, Stars had drawn 1-1 with Eritrea at home before suffering a 1-0 defeat to Guinea in Conakry.##NAJAVA_MECA_9999945##Rwanda, meanwhile, entered the friendly on the back of an impressive qualifying campaign, having beaten Liberia 3-1 and Cape Verde 2-1 in their preceding matches.Manousakis acknowledged the challenge posed by a Rwanda side that had won both of its opening qualifiers, but said Kenya deliberately approached the friendly with different objectives, including testing players in unfamiliar roles and giving younger members of the squad an opportunity.“We played opponents who had won their two games before in the AFCON qualifiers, so we knew it was going to be tough, but we tried to play a little bit differently,” Manousakis said after the match.Stars Abroad: Harambee Stars forward on the scoresheet hours after returning from international footballThe assistant coach explained that the technical team used the encounter to experiment with the team’s setup while also assessing several players ahead of the more important competitive assignments.“We set up a little bit differently, and we took the players a little bit out of their comfort zone and tried to give everybody a run. So maybe different objectives for us, to have a look at a couple of youngsters and overall, I think a draw is a fair result,” he added.Manousakis felt Kenya had the better of the limited opportunities before the break, although he admitted the team struggled to create enough chances in the second half.“At halftime, we felt we had the better half chances, and in the second half we did not create too many,” he said.Survival on the line as Kariobangi Sharks seek to overturn first leg defeat to Mombasa UnitedDespite the lack of goals, the coach was pleased with the discipline and concentration shown by the players throughout the encounter.“We are happy with the application from the players and concentration levels,” Manousakis said.He also pointed to the lack of match fitness among some of the players, with the Kenyan Premier League yet to begin, but insisted the friendly still provided valuable preparation for the team.“Fitness lacking here and there because the Kenyan Premier League hasn’t started, but all in all, it was a good exercise for us and as coaches, we got out what we were hoping to get out,” he said.Emerging Stars seek to complete U23 AFCON qualifiers first-round job against Tanzania in Tuesday clashWhile Kenya would have preferred to end the international window with a victory, Manousakis stressed that the result was secondary to the broader preparations for the AFCON campaign.“From a result point of view, we would like to finish off with a win, but it wasn’t to be. However, there are bigger objectives. We have a plan for AFCON and it was one of those matches in which we had to try a couple of different things,” he added.The match itself produced few clear-cut chances, with both teams struggling to establish sustained attacking pressure.Rwanda created the first notable opportunity in the eighth minute when Kwizera Jojea raced down the left flank before sending a teasing delivery into the box. Abud Omar reacted quickly to clear the danger before it could reach the intended target.The hosts continued to look for an opening, with Jacques trying his luck from a set-piece, but his effort narrowly missed the target.PLAYER RATINGS: Erambo, Ogam struggle in Harambee Stars' draw against RwandaKenya also struggled to create clear chances as the match wore on, while Rwanda were unable to turn their spells of possession into a breakthrough.Neither side could find the decisive moment in the closing stages as the two East African neighbours settled for a share of the spoils.The draw extended Kenya’s unbeaten run against Rwanda and provided Harambee Stars with a chance to regroup following their mixed start to the AFCON qualifying campaign.Kenya will now shift their focus to November, when they resume their AFCON 2027 qualifying campaign with a double-header against South Africa.