CHAN: McCarthy sheds light on why Odhiambo missed Kenya defeat against Madagascar

Kenya national team head coach Benni McCarthy has come out to explain why midfielder Austin Odhiambo missed the quarterfinal of the TotalEnergies African Nations Championship (CHAN) fixture against Madagascar at Kasarani Stadium on Friday.

During the contest, Harambee Stars suffered a heartbreak exit after losing 4-3 on penalties following a 1-1 draw in normal and extra-time. Odhiambo, who plays for Gor Mahia in the Kenyan Premier League, watched from the bench as Kenya bowed out of the CHAN.

After the defeat, a section of Kenyans questioned why the South African legend had overlooked Odhiambo, who had scored the winning goal against two-time CHAN champions DR Congo and in the 1-1 draw against Angola, from the penalty spot, during the group stage matches.

“Tactical decision,” McCarthy told the media as quoted by Pulse Sports. “I thought the way we set up was really good, solid because we wanted to dominate in midfield and Marvin [Nabwire] at his club is playing as an eight going forward and Alpha [Onyango] also very attack-minded, Manzur [Okwaro] sits.

“You saw even with a really strong team, you saw how quickly, how much they wanted to run. So, we were chasing shadows and I just thought the game was going the way the players that we set up [with]. That was the right set up and nothing about it.”

McCarthy and Harambee Stars will now shift focus to the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against the Gambia and Seychelles in September.