Africa Cup 2024: understrength Harambee Stars surprise Morocco, advance to semifinals
In a historic moment, Kenya's Harambee Stars defeated Morocco 1-0 in the African Nations Championship (CHAN) Group A match. This was Kenya's first victory against Morocco in any competition.
The match, held at an undisclosed location, saw Harambee Stars start on the front foot, securing the first corner of the game. The winning goal came in the 42nd minute, scored by Ryan Ogam.
Morocco, who have won the CHAN title in 2018 and 2020, have never lost to Kenya in seven previous meetings. However, this particular match saw a different outcome, with Kenya holding on to their lead despite late pressure from Morocco.
The victory saw Kenya stretch their lead at the top of Group A to seven points. Morocco, who are generally considered the stronger team historically, were left to lament poor clearances and lack of communication between their defenders in the 7th minute, which almost led to a goal for Kenya.
In the second half, Edward Omondi was replaced by Alpha Onyango to stabilize the midfield. Morocco had a chance to test Omondi's replacement when Anass El Mahraoui took a snap shot from 20 yards, but Onyango managed to keep a clean sheet.
The match was not without its controversial moments. Crispine Erambo was red-carded after a VAR review for planting his studs on Mahraoui. Center referee Vincent Kabore reviewed an incident using a pitch side monitor due to the VAR review.
Despite playing with 10 men, Harambee Stars managed to maintain their lead, with McCarthy managing his team towards defending their lead effectively. Morocco nearly took the lead in the 7th minute due to a poor clearance and lack of communication between Michael Kibwage and Bryne Omondi. Bouchaib Arrassi cleared the resultant free kick by Ogam off the line, forcing a corner that was cleared by the Moroccan defense.
The most recent clash between the two sides ended in a 3-0 victory for Morocco in an international friendly in 2014. The largest margin of defeat for Kenya was a 5-1 loss in the 2005 World Cup qualifiers in Rabat.
This victory by Harambee Stars marks a significant shift in the historical head-to-head record between the two teams, and it will be interesting to see how this changes the dynamics of future matches between Kenya and Morocco.
The victory of Harambee Stars over Morocco in the African Nations Championship (CHAN) Group A match has been recorded on the sports section of the epaper, marking a significant shift in the sports history between these nations. This win was Kenya's first in any sporting competition against Morocco, breaking the colonial-era trend of Moroccan dominance.
