CHAN 2024: Harambee Stars Lose Key Player to Injury Ahead of Angola Clash
- Harambee Stars will be without a key player in their second CHAN 2024 match against Angola on Thursday evening
- Kenya are seeking a second win in Group A after a major victory over DR Congo on Sunday, August 3
- Benni McCarthy's team will be aiming to boost their chances of reaching the quarter-final before they play Morocco
The Harambee Stars will face Angola in their second CHAN 2024 match at Kasarani Stadium without one of their key players.
Source: Twitter
Benni McCarthy and the Kenyan squad will be aiming for their second win in Group A, following a hard-fought victory over the Democratic Republic of Congo in their tournament opener.
Angola will also be looking to avoid another defeat following their painful 2-0 loss to Morocco on Sunday, August 3.
What is Benni McCarthy's plan for Harambee Stars vs Angola?
Kenya did relatively well against DR Congo and will need to produce a better performance against Angola. The Bafana Bafana legend said he is prepared for the test.
“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,” he said in his press conference..
Kenya started slowly in their opening match but gradually found their rhythm, though chances were hard to come by.
Kenya's team news vs Angola
McCarthy will have a full squad to choose from, except for striker Masoud Juma, who picked up an injury on Sunday after playing 66 minutes. He was replaced by Boniface Muchiri.
With Juma ruled out of the Angola encounter, McCarthy will still have forwards like Austin Odongo, Muchiri, David Sakwa, Edward Omondi, Ryan Ogan, and Felix Oluoch.
The head coach confirmed that Juma is the only injury concern ahead of the Angola clash, but did not reveal who will start in his place. As the most experienced striker on the team, playing without him could be a costly setback for the Harambee Stars.
"Our strength is to be compact, our strength is to be unified, our is to be hard to beat," McCarthy said. "Step by step we want to get where we want to get, and that is to be more complete."
"It is never going to happen overnight. If people want the old Kenya, they can keep on dreaming. As long as I am here, they will play how I want them to play," he added.
Source: Getty Images
Kenya will battle Morocco on Sunday before concluding Group A against Zambia.
What did Angola coach say about Kenya clash?
Angola were convincingly beaten in their first match, but as McCarthy mentioned, their style will pose many problems for Kenya.
Pedro Gonçalves is wary of Kenya's home advantage.
“They are a very good team, with athletic and quick players, so we’re going to face a side that is twice as hard to beat. But we know what is required of us and we know what we need to do. We have to try and bounce back from the opening day disappointment," he said in his press conference.
When will Benni McCarthy leave Kenya?
In a related story, TUKO.co.ke reported that Benni McCarthy opened up on when he could leave Kenya.
The South African said he wants to go back to club football because he wants to pass on knowledge.
He coached AmaZulu and Cape Town City before moving to Manchester United as a first-team coach.
Proofreading by Mercy Nyambura, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
