5 Things Learnt From Harambee Stars' Victory over Zambia to Finish Top of CHAN 2024 Group A

Harambee Stars sealed top spot in Group A after edging Zambia 1–0 in their final pool match at the African Nations Championships (CHAN 2024) on Sunday.

With a quarter-final slot already secured, Benni McCarthy’s men wanted a win to finish top — and they got it thanks to Tusker striker Ryan Ogam, who showed his poacher’s instinct to net the decisive goal 15 minutes from time.

Here are five key takeaways from the Stars’ performance as they prepare to face Madagascar in the quarter-finals.

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Boniface Muchiri finally showed why he had been winning plaudits for his flair, trickery and technique ever since he first broke through senior team football in the Kenyan topflight with Nzoia Sugar in 2016.

The former Tusker winger was subbed on in the 60th minute, and immediately brought directness, genuine one v one threat and crossing ability, first as a right winger, and then as a left winger, a position where he went on to make the match-deciding assist to Ryan Ogam for the winning goal.

A lot of fans had expressed concern that the side would be missing Mohammed Bajaber when he joined Simba, but the Kenya Defence Forces soldier has shown people why the former Police man is not being missed.Besides, there is also Brian Michira, a player who has yet  to make a single appearance at the tournament who also has that unpredictable knack.

Before the tournament started, Benni McCarthy made a bold claim that Ryan Ogam may well be the new Michael Olunga, and his performances at the ongoing tournament make it hard to argue against that fact.

Ogam has now scored two goals at the ongoing tournament, both left footed attempts into the back of the net, and has also shown fantastic hold up and link play.

He has also been excellent creating space for his teammates through his instinctive movement, and been a presence upfront. These are qualities Michael Olunga already possesses, having been the country’s lead striker for nearly 10 years now.

He is proving himself to be a seasoned goalscorer, having also set the Premier League alight with his 15 goals for Tusker before suffering an unfortunate knee injury that ended his season.

Atmosphere at Kasarani Stadium Remains Electric Despite Ticket Slashing

The Confederation of African Football had heavily sanctioned Kenya for failing to control the crowd over Harambee Stars’ first three games, including the decision to reduce the number of fans attending the stadium to just 27,000 for the game, down from 48,000.

As a result, half the stadium was empty for the Zambia game, but it never stopped the few fans that attended from making the atmosphere lively. With the country now through to the quarter finals, you can expect the stadium packed to capacity.

The security measures taken to ensure CAF protocols were observed were also commendable, with policemen being deployed nearly five kilometers away from the stadium, allowing only motorists going to Kasarani priority access at Thika road, which shows improvement in logistics.

Benni McCarthy once again showed his willingness to be ruthless with players, including the starman Austine Odhiambo, who was largely ineffective for the 60 minutes he was on the pitch, forcing McCarthy to bring on Boniface Muchiri in his place.

It was a decision that worked wonders, as he made a huge contribution by providing the assist for the winner. McCarthy also took off David Sakwa for Masud Juma, and he pressed relentlessly upfront, which had a huge impact in deciding the winner, given his relentless workrate and willingness to run the channels.

Harambee Stars footballers have been granted five million shillings each as incentives for their stellar performances at the ongoing 2024 African Nations Championships (CHAN) by president William Ruto.

While the players have done well to obey tactical instructions and fought hard for the badge, of course the incentives have played a huge role in helping them surpass all expectations. 

It is life-changing money from a Kenyan footballer’s perspective, and it is expected there will be more incentives to come the deeper the run. 

Kenya’s victory over Zambia was about discipline, resilience, and decisive moments. With Ogam in goal-scoring form, Muchiri rediscovering his spark, and McCarthy’s tactical ruthlessness, the Stars now march into the quarter-finals against Madagascar brimming with confidence.