Kenya national team head coach Benni McCarthy has hailed his side’s resilience after they clung on to a 1-0 victory over Morocco in their African Nations Championship (CHAN) Group A clash, despite playing the entire second half with 10 men.
The Harambee Stars took the lead in the 42nd minute when Ryan Ogam pounced on a loose ball and slotted it past Morocco’s El Mehdi Al Harrar, sealing Kenya’s second win of the group stage.
But just two minutes later, the momentum shifted dramatically. Midfielder Chrispine Erambo was initially shown a yellow card for a foul on Anas El Mahraoui, only for VAR to review the incident and upgrade it to a straight red.
From that point, McCarthy’s men barely ventured beyond their half, opting for a deep, compact defensive block. The coach compared the approach to the “park the bus” tactics of José Mourinho, under whom he won the 2004 UEFA Champions League with Porto.
“I played under a certain manager — José Mourinho — the master of such game management,” McCarthy said. “To play with 10 players is hell, but we used to do it as if it was routine. I learned the trade from him: where to tighten, who to sacrifice.”
He added, “It’s not always neat for the fans, but you cling on to your lead at any cost. Sometimes defenders have to do midfielders’ or strikers’ work. When you lose a player, you send off a striker, keep one workhorse up front, and the rest ‘park the bus’… or in our case, park a train and a bus in front!”
McCarthy targeting more wins
The coach stressed that winning remains the ultimate goal.
“Our primary goal is to bring success to the country, not to please every individual. If you are in the lead, you protect it at all costs.”
Ahead of their final group match against Zambia, McCarthy is hoping for more discipline.
“This is the art I learned under Mourinho. It’s come in handy these last two games, but I’m praying that against Zambia — no yellow cards, no red cards, please.”
Kenya now tops Group A with 7 points, followed by Angola on 4. DR Congo and Morocco are tied on 3 points each, while Zambia sits at the bottom without a point.
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