Harambee Stars’ debut at the African Nations Championship (CHAN) 2024 has been nothing short of remarkable, with head coach Benni McCarthy steering the team to gritty results against Morocco and Angola despite being reduced to ten men in both matches.
In a high-stakes Group A clash against two-time champions Morocco, Kenya claimed a 1-0 victory courtesy of Ryan Ogam’s composed 42nd-minute finish. The goal came just before half-time in front of a roaring Moi International Sports Centre crowd. However, the game’s rhythm shifted dramatically when Chrispine Erambo was sent off after a VAR review deep into first-half stoppage time.
It was a familiar scenario for McCarthy’s side. Just days earlier, during a tense 1-1 draw with Angola, midfielder Marvin Nabwire had also been dismissed following another VAR intervention, leaving Kenya to play nearly 70 minutes with a man down.
McCarthy credits much of the team’s resilience and defensive discipline to lessons learned under legendary Portuguese manager José Mourinho during his playing career. As a Champions League winner with Mourinho’s Porto, McCarthy absorbed the art of managing games in adversity.
“To play with ten players is hell, but we used to do it as if it was routine,” McCarthy has often said. His approach in these CHAN fixtures mirrored Mourinho’s hallmark strategies reorganising defensive lines, sacrificing attacking options for midfield stability, and ensuring every player contributed beyond their natural role.
Against Morocco, Kenya executed the plan to perfection. Goalkeeper Bryne Omondi delivered a heroic performance, pulling off crucial saves to keep the Atlas Lions at bay. Outfield players blocked passing lanes, disrupted Morocco’s rhythm, and maintained defensive concentration until the final whistle.
McCarthy’s tactics resembled a Kenyan twist on Mourinho’s famous “park the bus” strategy. With a slender lead to protect, he kept one tireless forward up front while the rest formed an unbreakable wall. In his own words, it was like “parking a train and a bus in front” of goal.
With seven points from three matches following wins over DR Congo and Morocco and a draw with Angola Kenya stands on the brink of a historic quarter-final appearance in their first CHAN tournament. Still, McCarthy is eager for cleaner games ahead, jokingly hoping for “no yellow cards, no red cards” when they face Zambia next.
