Harambee Stars shine bright in CHAN 2024 opener

Harambee Stars' Alpha Onyango vies for the ball with Lise Ntumba of DR Congo during a Chan 2024 match at Moi Stadium, Kasarani on Sunday/Charlene Malwa

IT was more than football. It was a homecoming. A soul-stirring festival of rhythm, colour, and hope as Harambee Stars began their CHAN 2024 journey with a poetic 1-0 victory over DR Congo at the sacred grounds of Moi Stadium, Kasarani.

Beneath a sky smeared with the hue of blue and destiny, Austin Odhiambo’s golden goal, Benni McCarthy’s tactical gamble, and the roar of a nation intertwined in a match that felt like prophecy unfolding on Kenyan soil.

From the earliest hours of the afternoon, Kasarani trembled—not from tectonic fury, but from the stomp of feet and the pulse of a people.

The old bones of the stadium, once silent witnesses to forgotten glories, woke again as Kenyan fans—mothers, bikers, vendors, schoolboys—streamed in with drums on their backs and ags on their shoulders.

The Kenyan tricolour kissed the wind, billowing in thousands, while across a small but de ant patch of blue, red, and yellow, the Congolese faithful sang Lingala songs of pride.

Their voices, though fewer, refused to be drowned—like a candle that will not be snuffed by the storm. It was a match laced in tension, painted in the hues of possibility.

And when the whistle blew, the atmosphere ignited. It took 43 minutes of battle of sweat and breath before the rst chapter of Kenya’s tournament tale was written.

David Sakwa, elegant as a poet’s pen, picked out Austin Odhiambo with a pass that sliced DR Congo open like an old wound. Odhiambo, that prodigy with a quiet face but a roaring soul, planted the ball into the net.

Kasarani didn’t cheer. It erupted. Strangers embraced. Flags ew. Grown men shed tears of joy. Mothers ululated like it was the birth of a new nation.

For a moment, even time stood still—awed by the sound of a people who had waited too long to believe. And while Odhiambo’s goal may headline history, it was McCarthy’s hand that orchestrated the evening’s sonata.

In a move both daring and divine, the South African tactician summoned 20-year-old Manzur Suleiman from his usual post at left-back and crowned him mid eld sentinel.

“He has the physicality and good anticipation to screen,” McCarthy told journalists post-match, eyes gleaming with vindication.

“He’s young, he’s athletic, and scared of nothing.”

And indeed, Manzur was fearless. He didn’t just play—he dominated. He stood like a guard at the gates of glory, cutting down DR Congo’s attacks, stalling their dreams.

It was a comingof-age performance, and Kasarani bore witness.

“For today’s game, I thought he was phenomenal,” McCarthy said. “For a player that’s never played at centre mid eld, he was one of our best players on the pitch.”

Flanked by the artistry of Alpha Onyango and the visionary touch of Odhiambo, McCarthy’s mid eld trinity hummed like a jazz trio—improvised, unpredictable, unforgettable.

The second half unfurled like an uneasy dream. There were moments—glorious, eeting— where the Stars might have scored again.

Boniface Muchiri, fresh from the bench, found himself alone against the keeper, the goal yawning like a hungry mouth.

But doubt, that oldest of enemies, crept in. The chance slipped. Still, spirits did not waver. Not in a stadium now drunk with belief.

Not when, as McCarthy revealed, the players had more than pride at stake. A topic buzzing even before kickoff was President William Ruto’s pledge of Sh1 million to each player for every win. McCarthy acknowledged the power of the gesture.

“I think it was a great initiative from President Ruto to motivate the boys and give them such huge incentive,” the coach said of the promise.

“It can be life-changing for many of these players… They’re local-based and don’t have big salaries.”

But then McCarthy’s voice lowered, almost reverent.

“Football is a game. If you have talent and you work hard, off the eld takes care of itself.”

On the opposite bench, DR Congo’s Otis N’goma lamented: “We started preparations late,” he confessed. “All our materials were left in Kinshasa for passport problems… You can’t expect a team to win without preparation.”

His star playmaker Matobo Mubalou was pulled off after 16 minutes—a decision made, he said, “to preserve his health.”