Kenya’s national team, the Harambee Stars, pulled off a stunning 1-0 victory against two-time champions Morocco in their Group A fixture of the TotalEnergies CAF African Nations Championship (CHAN) at a packed Kasarani Stadium on Sunday. The hard-fought win, which ended Morocco’s 14-match unbeaten run in the competition, was achieved despite Kenya playing with only 10 men for the entire second half.
Harambee Stars’ head coach, Benni McCarthy, revealed that the team’s tactical discipline in a challenging situation was inspired by his time playing under José Mourinho at FC Porto.
The breakthrough for Kenya came in the 42nd minute when Ryan Ogam, a Tusker FC player, pounced on a rebound to fire a shot past Morocco’s goalkeeper and send the home crowd into a frenzy. However, the jubilant mood was tempered just moments later. Following a VAR review, midfielder Chrispine Erambo’s initial yellow card for a tackle on Anas El Mahraoui was upgraded to a straight red, leaving Kenya with a numerical disadvantage for the rest of the game.
Playing with a man down for the second time in the tournament, Kenya displayed a remarkable defensive resolve. They had previously faced a similar situation against Angola, where midfielder Marvin Nabwire was also sent off. Against Morocco, the team showed immense character, with goalkeeper Bryne Omondi producing a man-of-the-match performance that included a string of superb saves to deny the Atlas Lions.
After the match, McCarthy explained how his experience under Mourinho influenced his strategy. “I’m not sure if you remember, I played under a certain coach, José Mourinho was the master of that,” he told reporters. He added, “As a player playing in a team that plays with 10 men, I’m telling you, it is hell. It is hell, but we used to manage it perfectly like it was our everyday thing.”
McCarthy’s philosophy centered on pragmatic game management. “I’ve learned the trades and the tricks of working with Mourinho, where you adjust, and who you sacrifice,” he said. “And unfortunately, it’s not going to be pretty for the fans because they want to see attacking football. But then you think about what is most important to protect your goals. If you are in the lead, you protect at all costs.”
The victory, following a 1-0 win over DR Congo and a 1-1 draw with Angola, puts Kenya at the top of Group A with seven points, moving them to the brink of a historic quarter-final place on their tournament debut. Morocco’s hopes of advancing now depend on their final two group matches against Zambia and DR Congo.
