Kenya captain Aboud Omar banks on home advantage to shine at CHAN

Kenya national team Harambee Stars captain Aboud Omar believes playing at home will be a huge advantage for the country as they feature at the upcoming TotalEnergies African Nations Championship (CHAN) slated to kick off in August.

Harambee Stars under coach Benni McCarthy will play their Group A matches at Kasarani Stadium in Nairobi. Other teams in the group include Morocco, Zambia, Angola and DR Congo.

“Playing at home is a huge advantage for us and not really pressure,” said Omar as quoted by CAFOnline. “Of course, there is a huge expectation from everyone that we will do well, but we are turning that into motivation.

“We have some experienced players in the team, and we have played under immense pressure before, so this will not be tough on us.”

Kenya will kick off their campaign against DR Congo on August 3, and the Kenya Police FC defender insists they have the quality and mentality to start strongly.

“We are focused on our preparation at the moment and just ensuring we have a team that plays together and plays with heart,’ he said.

This year’s tournament is particularly significant for Kenya, who will be making their debut appearance on home soil. It will be the first edition to be jointly hosted by three countries: Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, and the first time the competition is staged in East Africa.