The speedy winger set up Sheriff Sinyan to open the goals account, grabbed the second from a beautiful finish, before setting up Musa Barrow for the third, as the Scorpions totally destroyed the home side in a one-sided first-half affair.
Despite Austria-bound Ryan Ogam pulling a goal back with nine minutes left, it was not enough to deny Gambia maximum points.
Harambee Stars’ slim chance of qualifying for their first-ever World Cup had already gone up in smoke on Wednesday after Gabon walloped Seychelles 4-0 in another Group F fixture at the National Sports Complex Pitch 1 in Mauritania.
However, despite knowing their fate was already sealed, Kenya, under coach Benni McCarthy, kicked off the game on a high note, trying to appease the huge crowd that had turned out to cheer them on.
In the opening first five minutes, Kenya had already threatened the Scorpions twice. The first attempt fell to midfielder William Wilson, whose effort after turning around to control the ball veered off the post.
Three minutes later, striker and captain Michael Olunga missed an open sitter after being put through by midfielder Richard Odada.
Minteh turns the chief destroyer
However, Kenya were made to pay for the missed chances after Gambia stunned them with only their first chance of the game in the 12th minute.
A corner kick delivered by Minteh reached Sinyan, who was unmarked inside Kenya's danger zone, and he thundered home a free header past Bryne Omondi to silence the home crowd.
Despite the setback, Kenya kept pressing for an equaliser, with Olunga and Wilson coming close yet again. But before Kenya could level the scores, Gambia doubled their lead in the 26th minute. A through ball from the middle of play found Minteh, and the Brighton star rolled it using his left foot past Omondi.
Minteh could have doubled the scoreline from the restart after being put through yet again from a counter-attacking move, but instead of going for goal, he opted to sneak the ball to Sinyan, whose effort went off target.
However, it was 3-0 for Gambia in the 39th minute, when Minteh, who was running the show, once again turned the provider. His cross from the right wing found the unmarked Barrow, and the Al-Taawoun forward hit a one-time right-footed effort to the right bottom corner. When the half-time whistle went off, it was a huge relief for coach McCarthy and Kenya, who could have been down by six goals or more.
Ogam gets consolation for Kenya
Second-half substitute Ogam pulled a goal back for Kenya in the 81st minute but it was too little too late as Gambia had already run away with the game in the first stanza.
Kenya had kicked off their qualification campaign with a 2-1 defeat against Gabon, before they recovered to hammer Seychelles 5-0. Kenya’s matchday three fixture saw them battle Burundi in a game that ended 1-1 before they registered another point following a 0-0 draw against African champions Ivory Coast.
The next round of matches, which were overseen by McCarthy, who had just signed a two-year contract to replace Turkish Engin Firat, took Harambee Stars to Gambia, where they managed to come from behind twice, and snatch a 3-3 draw before returning home to lose 2-1 against Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s inspired Gabon.
