Harambee Stars’ Coach Issues STRONG Statement After Angola Match
Beneath Kasarani’s floodlit dome, when every roar shook the steel and sky, the ten-man Harambee Stars refused to be defeated, eking out a 1-1 draw against Angola in a CHAN 2024 thriller on Thursday night.
It was a night of grit and grace, with head coach Benni McCarthy encouraging his warriors to “slay the fear” that haunted their opening half.
Kenya trailed 1-0 after ten minutes. They soon found themselves one man down. But they did not fall.
They stood up, chest out, eyes forward, roaring back with Austin Odhiambo’s penalty in the 12th minute and retaining their composure in the face of wave after wave of Angolan pressure.
McCarthy, however, delivered a clear message.
“These players can play. They are really good. But my God, they need to get over this fear factor for 45 minutes. It’s stressful, man.”
"To be honest I'm exhausted,I can't wait to go and rest.
— Hesbon Nyamari⚽️ (@Hesbon_nyamari) August 7, 2025
When you go a man less and a goal down just after 15 minutes you have to think about how to manage the whole match" Harambee stars Head Coach Benny Mcarthy.#CHAN2024 pic.twitter.com/ytc9bt8V90
Kenya came into the match, which was highly anticipated in a group called the “Group of Grit,” fresh from an opening victory.
The stadium, a cathedral of noise, was a sea of red, white, and green, with 46,520 people.
However, the elation was short-lived when Angola’s J. Paciência scored in the sixth minute, punishing Kenya for a slip in marking.
Nonetheless, the response was fast and spirited. Austin Odhiambo stepped up with icy blood in his veins, converting on the spot and quelling any worries.
The match then took an unexpected turn when Kenya was reduced to ten men. The siege lasted 70 minutes, and the survivors made it out.
McCarthy surprised many by changing his entire frontline, giving a start to Eduardo Amondi, a player who hadn’t featured in the previous match.
Kenya's head coach Benny McCarthy had his reaction to Ben Stanley misplaced pass that led to the ruled out goal for Angola.#CHAN2024 pic.twitter.com/4veQSKSAgp
— Kenya News Centre🇰🇪 (@KenyaNewsCentre) August 7, 2025
But when the red card appeared, decisions had to be made.
Kenya nearly executed a counter-attack masterpiece in the last minutes, but one incorrect pass reversed momentum, and Angola almost punished them.
The full house at Kasarani served more than a symbolic purpose. The crowd rallied the team with yells and songs, battling the exhaustion that had crept into Kenyan legs.
Angola coach Pedro Gonçalves commended the Kenyan team while being disappointed with the game’s flow.
“Congratulations to everyone in the stadium. It was a great football party,” he said.
“But when the red card happened and the goalkeeper fell, we have to be honest—it’s not the football we want.”
Nonetheless, he acknowledged his team’s failure to capitalize.
“Kenya made it incredibly difficult. Even with a man advantage, we struggled to create chances. That tells you how well-organised they were.”
McCarthy was sure that the most significant barrier was not tactical, but psychological.
“It’s like going to school for the first time—you don’t know how to behave. We’ve had two games now, and we still look nervous in the first half. We can’t keep doing that.”
He added: “You can’t play just 45 minutes of football. The levels are different for a reason. We have to own the full 90. We have to stop fearing the occasion.”
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Kenya leads Group A with four points from two games, an unexpected but well-deserved result.
McCarthy saw this as more than just the end outcome. That was a statement.
“Modern-day football doesn’t let you get away with playing with 10 men. But we did. That shows the heart these boys have,” the Harambee coach stated.
The 12th Man was there with us in every moment – Coach Benni MCcarthy.#FootballKE || The Voice of Fans pic.twitter.com/bf8nli8G9N
— FootballKE🇰🇪⚽️ (@FootballKe_90) August 7, 2025
Kenya now turns its focus to a pivotal group clash against Morocco. McCarthy knows the stakes have risen.
“We’ve got to cut out the mistakes. We cause ourselves pain. But if we conquer fear, if we trust ourselves, we can go far.”
Harambee Stars’ Coach Issues STRONG Statement After Angola Match
