NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 30 – Harambee Stars head coach Benni McCarthy has disclosed that he is having sleepless nights in settling on the starting lineup that will tackle two-time winners Democratic Republic of Congo on Sunday at the Moi International Stadium in the Africa Nations Championships (CHAN)
Speaking on Wednesday after guiding his charges in training at the Police Sacco Stadium, South African MacCarthy said Kenya is prepared and gearing up for a strong start despite being drawn in what he described as the “group of death.”
Kenya opens its campaign on Sunday, August 3 against DR Congo, before facing Angola, favorites Morocco, and Zambia.
“We are in the group of death… but a good result against DR Congo will give us morale to face Angola, Morocco, and Zambia. The first game is extremely important, but it’s not the end of the world,” the coach disclosed.
McCarthy cited Argentina’s 2022 World Cup run, where they bounced back from an opening loss to Saudi Arabia, as an example of how early setbacks can be overcome.
“We will make it our quest to have one of our best matches of the tournament come on Sunday,” he said. “It just sets us up nicely.”
“However, the biggest challenge now lies in squad selection. “My head is as big as a watermelon,” he joked. “Everyone has worked hard, and it’s unfair you can only pick eleven. But those are the rules — and we have to make the right decisions.”
Harambee Stars are looking to progress past the group stage of CHAN for the first time in history.
A strong showing against DR Congo would offer a much-needed boost ahead of tougher fixtures to follow.
McCarthy has named his final squad for CHAN with Shabana’s lethal man being the latest inclusion to replace Mohammed Bajaber who left camp for Tanzania.
