McCarthy urges Kenya to remain focused and keep eyes on CHAN prize

Kenya national team head coach Benni McCarthy has urged his players to stay focused as they face Angola in their second fixture of the TotalEnergies African Nations Championship (CHAN) at Kasarani Stadium on Wednesday.

Harambee Stars kicked off their campaign with an historic 1-0 win against DR Congo while Angola suffered a 2-0 defeat against Morocco. Kenya will be in a strong position to reach the knockout stages if they collect another three points against the Angolans.

“Nothing is done yet. That was just one win — an important one — but we have to remain focused. We faced a very tough opponent and worked hard to get that result, but we shouldn’t let it get into our heads,” McCarthy told the media ahead of the game.

“The focus now shifts squarely to Angola and the ambition is the same — go in and fight for maximum points. I don’t care even if we have 30 or 40 percent possession. What matters to me is that we’re able to get the win from that match. We saw against Morocco — Angola had almost 60 percent possession — but at the end of the day, it’s the scoreline that matters.”

Speaking on behalf of the players, defender Alphonce Omija said: “The DRC game is behind us, and we have to place our focus on what lies ahead. Angola is a good team and we have prepared well for them.

“Mentally, physically and tactically, we’ve done everything to get ourselves in the right frame. We know that we carry the hopes of 55 million Kenyans on our shoulders and we cannot let them down.”

Kenya will be aiming to become the first debutant since Madagascar (2022) to win their first two CHAN matches. Madagascar beat Ghana (2-1) and Sudan (3-0), and were awarded a forfeit win over Morocco.