How Harambee Stars kept CHAN quarterfinals dream alive

Harambee Stars defender Marvin Nabwire walks off the pitch after he was sent off for a foul on Angola forward Alberto Adao. [Stafford Ondego, Standard]

Harambee Stars moved a step closer to the quarterfinals of the 2024 African Nations Championship (Chan) after battling to a 1-1 draw against Angola on Thursday night, despite playing with 10 men for more than 70 minutes at a packed MISC Kasarani Stadium.

The result kept Benni McCarthy’s side unbeaten in the tournament and on top of Group A with four points from two matches.

It also means Kenya’s fate is firmly in their hands ahead of their next clash against Morocco tomorrow (3pm), where a win will seal a place in the last eight with a game to spare.

Kenya’s night became more difficult in the 21st minute when midfielder Marvin Nabwire was shown a straight red card for a reckless challenge, leaving the team a man down.

Austine Odhiambo scored from the spot in the 12th minute to cancel out Joaqium Paciencia’s early seventh-minute opener.

“When you work so hard to get yourself in the game, the thought process and that final decision in the last minute matters so much,” Harambee Stars coach Benni McCarthy reflected.

“We had a counter-attack, the right pass for us ended up in the back of the net, but we made a wrong decision. They went to the other end and scored.”

Angola thought they had scored a winner late in the match, but the goal was ruled out for offside after a VAR review.

It was not only a sigh of relief for Kenyans but also for the Bafana Bafana legend. 

“In the game I thought it was a goal, but when the image came back, I saw it was offside. The Angolan player was blocking the defender, which means he was goal-side, so he was offside. Whoever was on VAR was 100 per cent spot on. It would have been a wrong decision that would have cost us three points if the goal was given," said McCarthy.

Despite playing much of the game with 10 men, McCarthy said he was proud of his players’ determination.

“There are some small mistakes we need to work on, but I’m extremely happy with the performance. I’m proud of the attitude and the effort shown by my players and that they gave the fans a point in such a tough match.”

The draw means Kenya will go into tomorrow's clash against Morocco knowing that a win will guarantee a place in the quarter-finals with a game to spare.

Morocco, who have played only one match so far, started their campaign with a 2-0 win over Angola. DR Congo also have three points after beating Zambia 2-0 earlier on Thursday at Nyayo Stadium.

For Angola, the draw leaves them with two points from two matches. They now face Zambia in a must-win encounter to keep their tournament alive.

McCarthy knows tomorrow's game will be tough but believes his team has the spirit to go through.

“We’ve shown that even with 10 men, we can match some of the best teams. If we stay disciplined and take our chances, we can book our place in the quarter-finals," he said.

In Group B, Tanzania are leading with six points after back-to-back wins against Mauritania (1-0) and Burkina Faso (2-0).

Kenya’s fans will be hoping for more magic at Kasarani this weekend — and maybe, just maybe, a ticket to the last eight.