Harambee Stars kicked off their African Nations Championship (CHAN) debut with a thrilling 1-0 win against the favored DR Congo on Sunday, August 3, at Kasarani Stadium.
Austin Odhiambo scored the game’s only goal right before halftime, marking Kenya’s first three points of the tournament and giving coach Benni McCarthy his first official win since taking over in March. As a nice bonus, each player on the Harambee Stars squad will receive Ksh 1 million from President William Ruto, who made that promise just a day earlier.
The game started a bit shaky, but Harambee Stars really pulled through against a determined DR Congo team. The Leopards thought they had scored early when Jepthe Kitambala took advantage of a slip by captain Aboud Omar, putting the ball in the net. However, referee Jelly Alfred Chavani overturned the goal after a VAR check due to a foul on Omar in the play leading up to it.
Kenya started to get their rhythm, with Masud Juma almost scoring after getting a cross from Austin. His shot was saved by Congo’s goalie, Brudel Efonge. DR Congo quickly had a chance of their own, but Kaluo Makonzi missed an open goal after Omondi misplayed a situation.
At the other end, David Sakwa had a good opportunity too, chesting down a pass from Odhiambo before firing a shot that just missed the target. The breakthrough finally came just before halftime when Austin Odhiambo, who was a key player in the first half, received a pass from Sakwa, evaded his defender, and sent a low shot into the net for a 1-0 lead.
After halftime, DR Congo made some quick substitutions, bringing on Helton Kayembe and Josue Kazema to increase their attacking threat. They nearly found an equalizer when a well-timed tackle from Manzur Suleiman stopped Kazema’s shot. Kayembe tried a long-range effort but, once again, Omondi was up to the task.
Congo kept pushing, and in the 62nd minute, Kayembe had another shot denied by Omondi after a defensive mix-up for Kenya. In response, McCarthy tweaked his lineup, bringing in Marvin Nabwire and Boniface Muchiri, which helped regain control of the midfield and stop Congo’s momentum.
DR Congo kept at it, and in the 75th minute, substitute Horso Mwaku fired a shot over the bar after a ball dropped into his path. To shake things up further, McCarthy brought on Chris Erambo, Ben Stanley, and Michael Kibwage with ten minutes left. Stanley nearly made it count in the 82nd minute with a great run off Odhiambo’s pass but ended up shooting just wide, lucky to avoid being flagged offside.
As the game wound down, DR Congo sent numbers forward in search of an equalizer during seven minutes of stoppage time, but Kenya’s defense held strong. Goalkeeper Bryne Omondi made some crucial saves to keep the lead intact, rounding off a fantastic performance.
This win not only marked Harambee Stars’ first-ever CHAN victory but also positioned them strongly in Group A, following the earlier match where Tanzania defeated Burkina Faso 2-0.
