Benni McCarthy Claims First Victory as Kenya Dominates Chad in Morocco

Benni McCarthy, the South African footballing great, celebrated his maiden victory at the helm of Kenya’s national side, the Harambee Stars, with a determined 2-1 triumph over Chad in an international friendly match at Stade de Marrakech in Morocco on Tuesday.

Kenya opened the scoring in the 18th minute when debutant striker Emmanuel Osoro netted before David Sakwa doubled the lead just before half-time in the 45th minute.

Chad reduced the deficit in the 60th minute, with Ali Mahamat Adam scoring, yet McCarthy’s first victory as coach came through after four games in charge.

In his quest for that elusive win, the former Bafana Bafana attacker made nine alterations to the starting line-up that drew 0-0 against Chad just days earlier. Farouk Shikalo, the Bandari FC goalkeeper, replaced Brian Bwire, while Siraj Mohammed, Sylvester Owino, Swaleh Pamba, and Lewis Bandi made up the defence, tasked with thwarting the Chad attackers.

In midfield, the duo of Alpha Onyango and Austin Odhiambo were given starting roles, supported by William Lenkupae, who retained his spot from the previous match, alongside the adaptable Ben Omondi.

Up front, the attacking duo was rounded out by Sakwa and Osoro.

Osoro scores the opener, unmarked

Kenya took charge early in the match, and within just five minutes, they squandered a chance to go ahead when Lenkupae set up Osoro, who, from a promising position, failed to find the target.

The Harambee Stars continued their pursuit of the first goal, and in the ninth minute, Osoro connected well with Lenkupae before setting Sakwa through, but the latter hesitated, allowing Chad’s goalkeeper Jourdain Mbaynassem to thwart the effort.

Nevertheless, Kenya’s persistent efforts bore fruit in the 12th minute as Osoro marked his debut with a goal. Omondi picked out an unmarked Osoro in Chad’s penalty area with a superb pass, which Osoro controlled effortlessly before slotting it past the stranded Mbaynassem.

Chad’s first real attempt came minutes later, with Haroun Tchaouna evading Owino and feeding Ezechiel N’Douassel. The striker, who plays for Liga 2 side Persela Lamongan, saw his powerful volley saved by Shikalo, marking his first intervention of the match.

Five minutes on, Shikalo was called into action again, making two incredible saves to maintain Kenya’s 1-0 lead. An unmarked N’Douassel nodded a ferocious header towards goal from Ali Mahamat Adam’s corner, which Shikalo managed to punch clear before reacting quickly to deny Wiliam Damba’s rebound.

In the 36th minute, Kenya should have extended their lead when William Wilson, a central midfielder for Central Coast Mariners in Australia, evaded the Chad defenders and found himself one-on-one with Mbaynassem. However, instead of lifting the ball over the keeper, Wilson tried to sneak it through his legs, but Mbaynassem made a crucial save, pushing it away for a corner.

Kenya did not have to wait long to double their advantage, with Osoro turning provider this time. After a build-up initiated by Austin Odhiambo, Osoro found himself on the left wing, sprinting to the corner before delivering a low pass that Sakwa met with a precise right-footed strike past Mbaynassem.

The half-time whistle blew with the Harambee Stars comfortably ahead at 2-0.

Chad finds the net after defensive error from Kenya

Chad emerged from the break with two substitutions, bringing on Youssouf Abdraman and Madoua Tchiva for Damba and Tchaouna, while McCarthy also decided to mix things up, introducing Beja Nyamawi for goalscorer Sakwa and Brian Musa Katibi for Onyango.

Chad appeared more threatening in the early stages of the second half, pinning Kenya back in their half. They earned a free-kick from the right wing, taken by Tchiva, but Shikhalo was again alert, clearing the danger.

Chad made significant headway in the 60th minute when a lapse in the Kenyan defence permitted Ali Mahamat Adam to sneak in from behind and glance a header past Shikhalo after a well-placed pass from Ahmat Youssouf.

Despite Chad’s persistent efforts to equalise, Harambee Stars held firm in defence, with Shikhalo making another two vital saves in the dying stages to help secure the well-deserved victory under McCarthy’s stewardship.

This marked Harambee Stars’ first win in six competitive outings, with their last success having come on January 7, 2025, when they claimed a 2-0 win against their neighbours, Tanzania, at Gombani Stadium.

In that encounter, Kenya had relied on second-half goals from Boniface Muchiri and Ryam Ogam. Looking ahead, Kenya’s next challenge was a friendly match where they drew 1-1 against Burkina Faso at Gombani Stadium.

Kenya then turned its attention to the qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, drawing 3-3 against Gambia in their Group F clash before suffering a 2-1 home defeat to Gabon. They faced Chad in a game that concluded in a goalless stalemate on June 7.