NAIROBI, Kenya — In a dramatic display of resilience, a ten-man Kenya fought to a 1-1 draw against Angola in a Group A clash at the TotalEnergies CAF African Nations Championship (CHAN) PAMOJA 2024.
Playing in front of their home crowd at the Moi International Sports Centre, the Harambee Stars were forced to play with a man down for over 70 minutes but held on to remain unbeaten in the tournament.
Angola, looking to recover from their opening loss to Morocco, started brightly and took an early lead in the 7th minute through Jó Paciência. However, Kenya responded swiftly.
Following a VAR review, the Harambee Stars were awarded a penalty, which Austin Odhiambo confidently converted in the 12th minute.
This was Odhiambo’s second goal of the tournament, cementing his role as a key player for Kenya.
The match took a dramatic turn just nine minutes later when Kenyan midfielder Marvin Nabwire was sent off after a VAR review upgraded his yellow card to a red.
From that point on, the match became a test of Kenya’s resolve, with coach Benni McCarthy’s side shifting to a disciplined defensive game plan.
The Harambee Stars’ defense, anchored by a series of heroic saves from goalkeeper Byrne Omondi, managed to keep the Angolans at bay for the rest of the match.
Despite being at a numerical disadvantage, Kenya still managed to create a few chances, with substitutes coming close to scoring a late winner.
The drama reached a crescendo in stoppage time when Angola appeared to have snatched a last-minute victory, but a VAR check ruled out the goal for offside, preserving the draw for Kenya.
The final whistle was met with a mix of relief and celebration from the team and fans alike, who applauded the team’s gritty performance.
The draw puts Kenya at the top of Group A with four points. Angola, with just one point, must now win their final group match against DR Congo to have any hope of progressing.
Kenya, meanwhile, can book a historic quarter-final spot with a positive result against Morocco in their final group game.
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The Harambee Stars are placed in a competitive group, which includes 2018 and 2020 champions Morocco, Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Zambia.
To advance to the knockout stages, the team must finish in the top two of their group. A third-place finish would still earn the team Ksh 38.7 million (USD 300,000), while a spot in the quarterfinals guarantees Ksh 58.1 million (USD 450,000).
Group A:
Kenya, Morocco, Angola, DR Congo, Zambia
Group B:
Tanzania, Madagascar, Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic
Group C:
Uganda, Niger, Guinea, Algeria, South Africa
Group D:
Senegal, Congo, Sudan, Nigeria
It’s 3rd time lucky for Kenya to stage the regional football tournament after it was stripped of the hosting rights in 2018 due to infrastructural delay and replaced by Morocco, who went on to lift the trophy.
Before then, Kenya was granted the opportunity to play host for the AFCON tournament in 1996, which was later taken to South Africa due to Kenya’s lacklustre infrastructure.
