Harambee Stars thirst for another win in Chan fixtures

Austine Odhiambo celebrates after scoring for Harambee Stars against DR Congo during CHAN 2024 opener at Kasarani Stadium in Nairobi, on August 3, 2025. [Stafford Ondego, Standard] Harambee Stars will be aiming for a second straight win when they face Angola in their next Group A match of the 2024 African Nations Championship (Chan) at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, Thursday at 7pm. The Stars began their Chan campaign on a positive note last weekend with a narrow but crucial 1-0 victory over two-time champions DR Congo. Gor Mahia midfielder Austine Odhiambo scored the only goal of the match, lifting Kenya to second place in Group A, tied on three points with Morocco, who top the group on goal difference after beating Angola 2-0. Now, Harambee Stars have their eyes trained on Angola, knowing that a win will not only move them closer to a historic quarterfinal place, but also boost their pockets. President William Ruto has promised each player Sh1 million for every win at the tournament - and the team already received their first reward after the DR Congo win. With another Sh1 million on the horizon, the players will be highly motivated to get past Angola. Harambee Stars coach Benni McCarthy said the team is ready to go again and revealed striker Maud Juma might miss the match after picking a knock in the opening day win over Congo "We are very comfortable on the ball, we work a lot on playing from the back and if we can beat the first press and get into the final third, we need to be clinical. If we are clinical, we have a chance," said McCarthy. Kenya go into the match in good form, having won their last two matches, including a 2-1 friendly win over Chad in June. In their last five competitive games, Kenya has won two, drawn two, and lost one. On the other hand, Angola will be desperate to bounce back after their opening match loss to Morocco. They are winless in their last five matches and risk early elimination if they lose again. History between the two teams is balanced. Out of four past meetings, each side has won twice. However, Kenya holds a strong record at home, beating Angola 2-1 in both 2007 and 2011 in Nairobi during Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. Kenya has never lost to Angola on home soil. Coach Benni McCarthy is expected to stick with most of the squad that played against DR Congo, with midfielder Alpha Onyango - who was named man of the match - likely to play another key role in midfield. Group A standings are beginning to take shape, and with Morocco resting, a Kenyan win will put them in strong control of the group ahead of their blockbuster match against the North African side on Sunday. With Kasarani already sold out more than 24 hours to the game, thousands of fans are expected to turn up and be even louder than they were on Sunday, as they they seek to Kenya keep their winning streak alive and move one step closer to the Chan knockout stage.

Harambee Stars thirst for another win in Chan fixtures

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Harambee Stars thirst for another win in Chan fixtures

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