CHAN 2024: Benni McCarthy Scolds Harambee Stars Players After Angola Draw
- Harambee Stars boss Benni McCarthy criticised his players following their draw against Angola in CHAN 2024
- Kenya played the majority of the contest with 10 men after Marcin Nabwire was sent off for a foul
- The hosts will face Morocco on Sunday, and then conclude Group A with a clash against Zambia a week later
Harambee Stars coach Benni McCarthy was not happy with his players' performance in their hard-fought 1-1 draw against Angola on Thursday, August 7.
Source: Twitter
Harambee Stars are still at the top of Group A with four points after two matches, and a win against Morocco on Sunday will almost guarantee them a spot in the quarterfinal.
Austin Odhiambo's well-taken goal handed them a vital victory in their opening match against DR Congo, and McCarthy had an issue with the way his team started both matches.
What mistakes did Harambee Stars commit vs DRC?
Last Sunday, August 3, Kenya played their first CHAN 2024 match against DR Congo. They started slowly and could've been punished early on.
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The Leopards created good chances but failed to capitalise. Kenya bounced back and dominated the rest of the game before Odhiambo's goal late in the first half.
Kenya's mistakes vs Angola
Against Angola, Kenyan defenders were partly at fault for Jo Paciencia's opening goal in the seventh minute.
A long ball was picked up by Beni Jetour, who outwitted Harambee Stars captain Abud Omar and Sylvester Owino before squaring the ball for the striker to tap into the goal.
In the 18th minute, an error by Kenya's goalkeeper Byrne Omondi led to Marvin Nabwire receiving a red card. Owino passed the ball back to Omondi, who was indecisive.
With two opposition players putting him under pressure, he passed it towards Nabwire, who didn’t see Angola’s Alberto Miguel. As he tried to intercept the ball, Nabwire fouled him.
He was shown a yellow card and then a red after a VAR review, forcing McCarthy to change his tactics.
The hosts defended for more than 70 minutes and nearly scored themselves after thwarting attack after attack from Angola. Harambee Stars got a deserved point.
What did Benni McCarthy say about Harambee Stars?
In his post-match conference, McCarthy was proud of his players and thanked fans for their raucous support at Kasarani Stadium.
He also highlighted mistakes made against DR Congo and Angola, warning that they will cost the team.
"We turn our attention to the next match, and hopefully, we cut off all the mistakes because the mistakes are what is costing us. We cause ourselves a lot of pain," McCarthy said. Players still get nervous now. I know the occasion is big, but the players have to take control."
Source: Twitter
He strongly called out his players, who seemed to be affected by the occasion.
"You're the best that the country has, you can't still be like a rookie, like someone who has never walked into a football pitch before, someone has not seen so many people in the stadium. That's what my team is doing at the moment, and it is costing us," he stressed.
"DR Congo, we started so sluggishly...you make the same mistake like an 8-year-old going to school for the first time. You get punished for it, but you get away with it. That is what we have to figure out."
Did Angola coach criticise Harambee Stars?
In a related story, we reported that Angola coach Pedro Goncalves appeared to criticise Harambee Stars.
He called out Kenya for their time-wasting tactics. He mentioned goalkeeper Byrne Omondi in his presser.
The Palancas Negras dominated possession, but Kenya stopped most of their attacks despite being a man down.
Proofreading by Mercy Nyambura, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
