PuraVida Sports

By Pura Vida Team

Kenya’s Harambee Stars, produced yet another superb display despite going one man down in the first half stoppage to defeat favourites Morocco 1-0 in their third match of the TotalEnergies CAF African Nations Championship (CHAN) at a jam-packed Kasarani Stadium on Sunday.
Kenya, who went into the fixture unbeaten, having beaten DR Congo 1-0 and managing a 1-1 draw against Angola despite also playing with 10-men, benefitted from a goal from Ryam Ogam in the 45th minute to take their tally of points in Group ‘A’ to seven and one foot away from the knockout stages. 

However, they were forced to play the entire second half with 10-men after Chrispine Erambo had been sent off in an over-subscribed match that could see the Kenyan organisers face sanctions after fans broke into the stadium and jammed the already sold-out terraces, some pouring into restricted media areas.

For the fan chaos at Kenya’s match against Angola, the Football Kenya Federation was fined Sh2.5 million by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for security breaches and the hosts face another sanction following Sunday’s spectator over-enthusiasm.

But that won’t matter much for the Kenyans who are starved of football success, the sanctions a small price to pay for the Harambee Stars progression into the knockout stages which is now almost secured.

McCarthy’s bold statement

Harambee Stars’ coach Benni McCarthy made a bold statement by benching several regulars from the side that faced Angola, including captain Aboud Omar, right-back Daniel Sakari, Alphonce Omija, midfield maestro Austin Odhiambo, who had scored against two-time CHAN champions DR Congo in the opener, and against Angola, and Alpha Onyango.
In their positions, the South African legend opted for a mix of fresh legs and tactical reshuffles. Siraj Mohammed came in at right-back, Mike Kibwage returned as the captain to partner Sylvester Owino in central defence, and Lewis Bandi was also thrust on, while Erambo was slotted into midfield.
Ben Stanley Omondi started in the playmaker role, having come on as a sub in the previous game, while Tusker forward Ryan Ogam replaced Austin Odhiambo, adding a more direct attacking threat for Harambee Stars.

And when the final whistle blew in Nairobi, the noise was deafening — not just from the crowd at the Moi International Sports Centre, but from the disbelief echoing across African football.

Kenya, making their CHAN debut, had just taken down two-time champions Morocco 1-0, playing half the match a man short.

It wasn’t just an upset. It was a tactical heist — and the architect was none other than Benni McCarthy, the former South Africa international striker, a man who once learned the dark arts of defensive survival from José Mourinho himself.

The decisive moment came in the 42nd minute, when Ryan Ogam pounced on a loose ball and drilled it past Morocco’s El Mehdi Al Harrar, sparking wild celebrations in the stands.

But barely two minutes later, the match turned on its head. Midfielder Chrispine Erambo was initially booked for a challenge on Anas El Mahraoui, only for VAR to intervene and upgrade the punishment to a straight red.

Kenya would have to defend their lead for the entire second half with 10 men against one of the continent’s most decorated CHAN teams. 

Chapter from Mourinho playbook

For most coaches, that would be a nightmare. For McCarthy, it was a familiar chapter from the Mourinho playbook.

“I played under a certain manager — José Mourinho — the master of such game management,” McCarthy said at the post-match press conference.

“To play with 10 players is hell, but we used to do it as if it was routine. I learned the trade from him: where to tighten, who to sacrifice.”

McCarthy’s résumé under Mourinho includes a Champions League title with Porto and countless matches where victory was built on defensive grit. On Sunday, he dipped deep into that experience.

“It’s not always neat for the fans, but you cling on to your lead at any cost,” he explained.

“Defenders may be required to do midfielders’ or strikers’ work. That’s what I learned from José — when you lose a player, you send off a striker, keep one workhorse up front, and the others ‘park the bus’… or in our case, park a train and a bus in front!”

And that’s exactly what Kenya did. Bryne Omondi, already outstanding in the 1-1 draw with Angola, was unbeatable against Morocco, producing a string of saves to frustrate the Atlas Lions.

Behind him, centre-backs Sylvester Owino and Mike Kibwage blocked everything in the air, while full-backs Siraj Mohammed and Lewis Bandi shut down Morocco’s wide threats.

Remarkably, this was the second match in a row Kenya had to endure with 10 men. Against Angola, midfielder Marvin Nabwire had also seen his yellow card upgraded to red, forcing McCarthy’s side to grind out a draw.

“Believe me, I’d have been happy to finish with 11 men,” McCarthy admitted.

“Unfortunately, it’s two games on the bounce. Today was even more unlucky — the player went to clear the ball, completely missed it, and struck the Moroccan player on the shin. It was an accident.”

Brand of pragmatic football

Despite the numerical disadvantage, the Harambee Stars have remained unbeaten at CHAN — with two wins and a draw from their first three matches.

McCarthy is aware that his brand of pragmatic football might not win style points, but for him, the bigger picture is what matters.

“Our primary goal is to bring success to the country, not to please every individual,” he said. “If you are in the lead, you protect at all costs.”

The coach’s player selections have also sparked debate, but McCarthy remains firm in his conviction.

“Those are the players that you’ve seen and you see the qualities and where they can take the team. Do you risk taking someone based on a couple of good games or knowing what you’re going to have when you’ve seen players? We know everyone is not going to be happy… but I know talent when I see one.”

The win puts Kenya on the verge of a historic quarter-final place in their tournament debut. Victory against Zambia in their final group game would guarantee top spot in Group A; even a draw could be enough.

Morocco, on the other hand, must now regroup to avoid an early exit. 

For a team with a 14-match unbeaten CHAN run and a reputation for silencing hosts, Sunday was a sobering reminder of the competition’s unpredictability.

For McCarthy, it was personal as well as professional. 

The former South African striker scored against Morocco at AFCON 1998; now, nearly three decades later, he has engineered a victory that could reshape Kenyan football’s place on the continental map.

“This is the art I learned under Mourinho,” he said, smiling. “It’s come in handy these last two games, but I’m praying that against Zambia — no yellow cards, no red cards, please.”

Kenya survives an early scare
On Sunday, Kenya survived an early scare in the 10th minute when Kibwage bundled down Morocco’s Anas El Mahraoui outside the 18-yard area. 

Imad Riahi stepped up to take the free-kick, and the RS Berkane midfielder whipped in a sumptuous ball which found Khalid Aït Ouarkhane unmarked at the far post.
Ouarkhane responded with a powerful header that hit the back of goalkeeper Bryne Omondi, and the post, before Kibwage came to the rescue to clear the danger with forward Ayoub Mouloua almost pulling a trigger.
Kenya’s first chance of the game arrived in the 15th minute after a corner delivered by Stanley Omondi found Boniface Muchiri at the far post but he was flagged down before he could hit the ball for fouling Anas Bach, who went down and needed medical attention following the challenge.
The move by Kenya came after the Atlas Lions, who went into the Group ‘A’ game unbeaten in five previous encounters with East African opposition (three wins, two draws), had been forced to make an early substitution, with injured Mouloua coming out for Youness El Kaabi.
Morocco’s Bouchaib Arrassi was the first player to be booked following a clumsy foul on Ogam in the 30th minute. 

From the resultant foul, Kenya almost broke the deadlock when Suleiman Okwaro unleashed a powerful shot from outside the box, but it hit a deflection off a Morocco player for a fruitless corner.

Ogam puts Kenya ahead against run of play
Kenya took the lead against the run of play when Stanley Omondi’s shot was blocked by Marouane Louadni, but the rebound fell to Ogam, and despite facing six Morocco players, he sneaked a left-footed effort past El Mehdi Al Harrar to the delight of the huge crowd which had turned out to cheer on the side.
Two minutes later after going ahead, Kenya had a second player sent off in the CHAN in successive matches. 

After midfielder Marvin Nabwire was sent off against Angola, Erambo who was brought in for his physicality, was sent off following a high boot tackle on El Mahraoui. 

As Erambo walked off the pitch a dejected man, Burkina Faso referee Vincent Kabore blew the whistle for the half-time break with Kenya enjoying a 1-0 lead but with a man down.

At the start of the second half, McCarthy looked to the bench and sacrificed Edwin Omondi for Alpha Onyango following Erambo’s sending off. 

Before the half could kick off, referee Kabore flashed a yellow card to McCarthy.

There was an anxious moment in the 56th minute when Muchiri received a pass on the right wing, dribbled through but went down inside the box under what looked like a challenge from Louadni. 

The referee awarded a penalty, but after a VAR check, the decision was overturned with Kenya getting a foul from outside the box.

This was Morocco’s third match against a tournament host, having defeated Rwanda 4-1 in 2016 and Cameroon 4-0 in the 2020 semi-finals.

Kenya became the 18th different team to face Morocco at CHAN and the fourth from East Africa. 

Story: CHAN Kenya LOC & Cafonline.com

Photos: Eunice Muthui