Harambee Stars triumph over DR Congo in Group ‘A’ opener
Gor Mahia midfielder Austin Odhiambo slipped but landed in riches and history after slicing the ball into the net with his left foot at the stroke of halftime.
The goal ensured victory for tournament debutants Harambee Stars over two-time champions DR Congo in their first match of 2024 African Nations Championships (Chan) at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani on Sunday.
The goal, Kenya’s first ever in the history of Chan, guaranteed every person in Harambee Stars’ 40-member squad Sh1 million for winning the match.
The goal also made Kasarani the 29th match venue to witness a goal in the history of Chan. Odhiambo’s goal was the tournament’s 420th goal overall. Those are figures that speak of Kenya’s failure to host Chan 2018 and their late arrival to compete at Chan. For Harambee Stars’ South African coach Benni McCarthy, the goal delivered his first competitive win with the team since his appointment in March.
It was a moment bolstered by intrigues that had shaped the match. Right back Daniel Sakari recovered from his shaky start to initiate the move that led to the goal. He passed the ball to David Sakwa, who had moved to the right wing 10 minutes earlier after Harambee Stars’ attacking trio – Sakwa, Masoud Juma, and Ryan Ogam – had switched positions. Sakwa then slid a pass to Odhiambo, who carried the ball into the box, floored Magloire Kalonji and guided the ball into Brudel Liyongo’s bottom right corner.
The goal came at the right time, easing the tension that had gripped the stadium as both teams threatened each other’s goal with little success.
DR Congo thought they had drawn first blood in the fourth minute after the burly Jephte Bola beat Bandari goalkeeper Byrne Omondi at his near post with a powerful shot from the edge of the box. The legion of Congolese fans that had colonised a section of the stadium cheered wildly, but the joy was short-lived.
South African referee Jelly Chavani consulted the VAR and cancelled the goal for a foul on Harambee Stars captain Abud Omar to the jubilation of Kenyans who eased from their deflation.
In the 30th minute, Masoud Juma had a chance to add to his eight international goals. Liyongo stuck his foot out to stop the ball from rolling into his bottom left corner. It would have been a goal that would have capped a flawless team that had started with Omondi passing the ball to 19-year-old Manzur Suleiman, the youngest among the players who started the match. Suleiman beat the Congolese press and sparked a passing move that involved Omar and Odhiambo before the ball was laid to Juma.
Thunderous roar
At the end of 45 minutes, the fourth official indicated four minutes of added time. That lifting of the electronic board turned out to signal the moment Kenyans had been waiting for as Odhiambo scored in the second minute of added time. The goal sparked a thunderous roar from Harambee Stars fans as silence took over in the pocket of the stadium occupied by DR Congo fans.
The second half resumed with DR Congo showing more purpose to get an equaliser. However, despite Ben Stanley wasting a glorious chance to put the result beyond doubt in the 82nd minute, Harambee Stars defended resolutely to secure victory. Even when the defence was breached, goalkeeper Omondi proved to be an all-seeing flying cat, entertaining the crowd with his dives and reflexes. Too high, the ball did not get over him. Too wide, there was no way around him. Too low, there was no getting under him.
After the match, McCarthy commended his players for overcoming their nervous start against a team that has “so much experience”.
“We were nervous, but we did not let our nervousness get the better of us. Once we settled, we started playing good football against a team that is organised and well-prepared,” McCarthy said before adding that even though the referee was correct to disallow DR Congo’s fourth-minute goal, the incident gave his team “a scare”.
Still, McCarthy team selection was not without a decision that alarmed Harambee Stars fans. McCarthy deployed Manzur Suleiman, a left back, in a defensive-midfield pairing with Alpha Onyango, who was announced the man of the match. The duo screened a defence comprising Daniel Sakari, Alphonse Omija, Sylvester Owino, and Abud Omar.
Manzur, who became the first player this century to represent Kenya in a CAF competition at senior and youth level, performed well in his new role, and McCarthy said the decision to deploy him in that position was made after he showed attributes necessary to excel in the role in training.
“In friendly matches we played behind closed doors, Manzur impressed with his stamina and endurance. We noted that he will be an asset if we play him in midfield because we would need his speed to neutralise DR Congo’s attacks, which relied heavily on getting the ball to their big striker,” McCarthy said. “Manzur is young, athletic, and fearless, and that is why we wanted him to play there,” the coach added.
However, McCarthy hinted that he may play Manzur in his natural position in upcoming matches. “For me, Manzur is a left back, but for today, I believed he could play in midfield,” McCarthy said.
Harambee Stars’ victory sees every member of the squad earning a Sh1 million bonus following a promise made to the team by President William Ruto on Saturday morning. However, McCarthy said that the fat bonus was not the motivating factor for his team, saying, “For me, it is all about winning football matches. When you win, you get greatly rewarded.”
Still, McCarthy described the “incentives” promised by President Ruto as “life-changing”. “The squad has local-based players and they do not have the best of the biggest salaries. When you look at it that way, it is a morale booster.”
Despite winning against the competition’s two-time champions, McCarthy admitted that Harambee Stars are yet to shake off the underdog tag. Kenya and DR Congo are in the tournament’s “Group of Death” with two-time winners Morocco, Chan 2011 runners-up Angola, and Zambia, who were third at Chan 2009.
“Of course, there are better teams in the group, but today we have proved we are no pushovers. If teams think they can have it easy against us, they are mistaken,” McCarthy said.
On his part, DR Congo coach Otis N’Goma admitted that his team struggled to get going in the first half. “We had a slow start and tried to improve in the second half, but it did not work. We will be better in the next game.”
Kenya’s next match will be against Angola at Kasarani on Thursday, August 7. The match will kick off at 7 pm. DR Congo’s next match will also be on Thursday. They will play Zambia at Nyayo at 4pm.
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