All eyes will be on the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, this Thursday, August 7, when Harambee Stars take on Angola in their second Group A fixture of the TotalEnergies African Nations Championship (CHAN) 2024.
Kenya will be hoping to build momentum and edge closer to the quarter-finals in front of a packed home crowd.
A win on Thursday would place Kenya on the brink of the knockout stages a remarkable achievement for the tournament debutants.
Harambee Stars head coach Benni McCarthy, who made history by guiding Kenya to their first-ever CHAN victory, says the players are motivated and grounded.
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“We are not carried away. Beating DR Congo gave us belief, but we know Angola will be tough. They have experience in this tournament and will be desperate. That makes them dangerous,” McCarthy said during a pre-match briefing on Wednesday.
Austin Odhiambo, who scored Kenya’s winning goal in the opener, said the team is feeling the energy of the home fans.
“Kasarani was electric on Sunday. It felt like we had 12 players on the pitch. We’re ready to give them more to cheer,” he said.
Kenya will also look to maintain their defensive solidity after keeping a clean sheet in the opener, thanks in part to the efforts of Alphonse Omija, who made a game-high six clearances.
Angola, meanwhile, will be looking to bounce back from a 2–0 defeat to Morocco in their opening match and revive their campaign in what is shaping up to be a tightly contested group.
For Angola, the stakes are high. Despite their loss to Morocco, the Palancas Negras dominated possession (58.7 percent) and completed 90 percent of their passes a sign that they cannot be underestimated.
“We need to turn possession into goals. Kenya is riding a wave, and the fans will be loud. But we’ve played in hostile environments before. We are prepared,” said Angola head coach Pedro Gonçalves.
Kinito stood out in their opening match, leading in touches (93), passes attempted (85), and completed passes (79), while Gilberto will be hoping to improve after losing possession 20 times the most of any player on the pitch.
Historically, Angola has not fared well in opening matches at CHAN and are winless in their last five tournament outings (D3 L2).
However, their past performances in second group games offer a glimmer of hope, with one win and two draws in four appearances.
Thursday’s clash promises a tactical and emotional showdown with Kenya relying on the physicality and pace of their wide players, while Angola may look to control the midfield and dictate the tempo, as they attempted against Morocco.
Analysts expect both teams to score, given Angola’s need to attack and Kenya will capitalise on home advantage. The two sides have never met at CHAN before, adding to the intrigue.
“This is a classic test of a rising team against a wounded giant. Kenya must not sit back they need to keep pressing and take advantage of early chances,” said former Kenyan international James Situma.
Tickets for the highly anticipated 7:00 pm kickoff sold out by Tuesday morning, with fans scrambling to witness another potentially historic moment for the national team.