Coach McCarthy's magic rekindles Kenya's love for Harambee Stars

Give Benni McCarthy 10 men, and he’ll still find a way to win.

Twice in one week, the South African mastermind turned numerical disadvantage into tactical brilliance, guiding Harambee Stars through stormy waters with the calm of a seasoned captain.

Reduced to 10 men against Angola last Thursday, Kenya held firm for a gutsy 1-1 draw.

And on Sunday, they went one better — stunning Africa’s top-ranked nation Morocco 1-0 in a 2024 African Nations Championship (Chan) thriller that left fans and pundits alike searching for superlatives.

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 on Sunday would guarantee top spot in Group A; even a draw could be enough.

The players even have more motivation to beat Zambia after President William Ruto promised to give each player Sh2.5m if they win on Sunday.

As if that is not enough Ruto also promised the players Sh1 million each if they win in the quarter-finals and they will also get a two-bedroom house from the affordable housing project.

The players will therefore need fans on their side once again if they are to win on Sunday and earn more millions, but doubts remain on fans buying tickets for the match after the ticket buying was suspended yesterday.

The Confederation of African Football suspended buying of tickets for the Zambia match as they investigate the incident that happened on Sunday at Kasarani where fans forced their way into the stadium after breaking one of the gates.

A number of fans without tickets wee able to find their way into the stadium to watch Kenya beat Morocco.

Morocco 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.

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

“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.”

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.

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

Kenya now sit top of Group A with seven points, three points ahead of Angola who have turned around their poor start with a 2-1 win over Zambia pushing them to within the grasps of a quarterfinal.

The South Africans begun the tournament with a 2-0 defeat to Morocco before drawing with Kenya.

Shocking, the Atlas Lions who are ranked 12th in the global Fifa rankings slip down to second last with three points and despite being favourites, the two-time champions risk exiting the competition.

However, they have two matches against the Group A whipping boys Zambia who have lost all their first two matches and a date against DR Congo who also have three points.

Former Harambee Stars and Kisumu Posta striker Elijah Onsika who donned the famous red and white of Kenya commended the team spirit and rallied all Kenyans to continue supporting the national team even from their home comforts.

“It’s amazing to see what McCarthy has done with the team. It’s absolutely magical. And you know what, Harambee Stars now need everyone’s support than before. The journey is just beginning,” said Onsika.

Many doubted the former Manchester United first team coach changes after he benched Kenya’s hero Austine Odhiambo despite the Gor Mahia striker being Star’s brightest shining star with two goals in two matches.

“Our primary goal is to bring success to the country, not to please every individual,” said McCarthy after sparking social media buzz with his squad selection against Morocco.

“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.”

Kenya will face Zambia in their last pool match on Sunday at Kasarani from 8pm.