Harambee Stars confront Angola in a draw during their CHAN Group A contest, with only ten players
In a thrilling encounter at Kasarani Stadium on Thursday, Kenya's Harambee Stars fought back from an early deficit to draw 1-1 against Angola in the second Group A match of the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN).
Angola took the lead in the 7th minute through Jó Paciência, but Kenya equalized just five minutes later. Austin Odhiambo converted a penalty after a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review confirmed a foul by an Angolan player inside the box.
Kenya's resilience was tested when Marvin Nabwire was sent off early in the first half, but they managed to maintain the draw despite playing most of the match with 10 men.
The game was filled with VAR drama, with one decision resulting in a Harambee Stars player being sent off. In the final moments of the game, Angola thought they had scored a winning goal by Ambrosini “Zini” Salvador, but after a VAR review, the goal was disallowed due to an offside in the buildup.
Silvester Owino showed composure with double blocks, clearing off the line from a corner set piece. Boniface Muchiri released Odhiambo through on goal in the first half, but his second touch took the ball away from the attacking midfielder.
The match began with an electric pace, with two goals scored in the opening 15 minutes. The electric start set the tone for a gripping encounter, with both teams displaying their offensive prowess.
In the second half, Chrispine Erambo initiated Kenya's first attack, while Anderson Cruz replaced Muanha for Angola, and Mike Kibwage came in for Muchiri on the Kenyan side.
With the draw, Kenya moved top of Group A with 4 points from two games. Morocco and DR Congo, who defeated Zambia 2-0 in an earlier match, are one point behind Harambee Stars. Angola remains with 1 point and faces a must-win situation in their final group match against DR Congo.
The Harambee Stars will be hoping to build on their impressive performance when they face Zambia in their final group match.
Fans of the digital world can catch a comprehensive summary of this thrilling draw in the sports section of the epaper, as Kenya's Harambee Stars exhibited resilience to draw 1-1 with Angola in a hard-fought encounter, despite playing most of the match with 10 men. In the second half, football enthusiasts can look forward to watching Kenya aim to secure a group-topping position against Zambia, as they seek to build on their impressive performance against Angola.
