.jpg) |
Harambee Stars first eleven group photo |
Harambee Stars faced a heartbreaking exit from the African Nation Championship cup quarter-finals yesterday, losing to Madagascar in a penalty shootout. Despite dominating possession in the second half, their efforts ultimately fell short. The burning question remains: how did Madagascar manage to defeat the Kenyan Stars on their home turf, in front of their own fans?
The game began with a wave of excitement for Kenyan fans when Alphonce Omija scored a stunning goal in the 48th minute, putting Harambee Stars in the lead. Seven minutes later, Ryan Ogam found the net again, but the goal was unfortunately disallowed due to an offside call.
The turning point came when Lewis Bandi conceded a penalty to Madagascar. Fenohasina Razafimora calmly converted the spot kick, leveling the score at 1-1 in the 68th minute. Shortly after, Ryan Ogam was substituted out for Austine Odongo in the 69th minute. Madagascar managed to hold the tie through to the final whistle of regular time.
This forced the match into extra time, and then ultimately into a penalty shootout. While Siraj Mohamed, Daniel Sakari, and Sylvester Owino successfully converted their penalties, Mike Kibwage and Alphonce Omija missed, handing Madagascar the victory and a spot in the semi-finals.
Conclusion
Since its inception in 2009, Kenya had never advanced beyond the group stages of CHAN. They participated in the inaugural edition in Ivory Coast but exited early, failed to qualify in 2011, 2014, and 2016, and were stripped of hosting rights in 2018. Their 2020 campaign ended in another failed qualification attempt, and in 2022, Kenya was disqualified due to FIFA sanctions on the federation.
For years, CHAN seemed like a closed chapter for Kenyan football. This makes the 2025 campaign in Kenya particularly significant. Under the leadership of head coach Benni McCarthy, the Harambee Stars not only progressed from the group stage but did so with a resilience and maturity that earned them admiration from fans across Africa.
No comments:
Post a Comment