Resilient 10-man Kenya hold Angola to go top of Group A
Ten-man Kenya showed immense grit and resilience to hold Angola to a 1-1 draw in a dramatic Group A clash at the TotalEnergies CAF African Nations Championship (CHAN) PAMOJA 2024 in Nairobi on Thursday night.
Playing in front of a boisterous home crowd at the Moi International Sports Centre, the Harambee Stars were forced to play with a man down for over 70 minutes after Marvin Nabwire was sent off in the 21st minute.
But Austin Odhiambo's coolly-taken penalty ensured Benni McCarthy's side remained unbeaten in the tournament and top of the group with four points after two games.
Angola, who had lost their opener to Morocco, started brightly and took the lead in the 7th minute when Jó Paciência slotted home a low shot after a well-worked move involving Beni Jetour.
The goal silenced the home fans momentarily and looked to set the tone for a dominant Angolan display.
But Kenya responded swiftly. Odhiambo won a penalty after a VAR check confirmed a foul by Mafuta in the box.
The Gor Mahia playmaker stepped up and confidently buried the spot-kick into the bottom left corner to bring the Harambee Stars level in the 12th minute – scoring his second goal of the tournament and further cementing his status as Kenya's breakout star at CHAN 2024.
The match took a dramatic twist in the 21st minute when midfielder Nabwire, who had initially been shown a yellow card, saw his punishment upgraded to a red after a VAR review.
Kenya were reduced to 10 men, and the tactical approach from coach McCarthy quickly shifted to contain the possession-heavy Angolans.
From then on, it was a case of resolute defending, smart game management, and heroic goalkeeping from Byrne Omondi.
The Kenya goalkeeper made a series of vital saves to keep the hosts level, including denying Aguinaldo Matias and Jó Paciência from close range in the second half.
Despite being a man down, Kenya created a few opportunities of their own. Substitute Chrispine Erambo went close late on with a powerful drive, and Sylvester Owino narrowly missed the target after a well-delivered corner.
Angola thought they had snatched victory in stoppage time when Kaporal scored from a rebound, but the goal was ruled out by VAR for offside in a dramatic end to the game.
The final whistle was met with a mix of relief and celebration from the Kenyan bench, who knew just how significant the point was given the circumstances.
Kenya in Control of Group A
The draw sees Kenya go top of Group A with four points from two matches, ahead of Morocco and DR Congo who both have three.
Angola's draw leaves them with one point and needing a win in their final game against DR Congo to have any hopes of progressing.
For McCarthy, the result was further proof of his side's growing belief and character.
Angola now face a must-win encounter against DR Congo in their final group game, while Kenya can book a historic quarter-final place with a result against Morocco.
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