Harambee Stars midfielder, Alpha Onyango, has admitted that Kenya faces a tough start to their Group “A” campaign in the delayed 2024 Africa Nations Championship (Chan) against two-time champions the Democratic Republic of Congo on August 3.
Nevertheless, the 24-year-old Gor Mahia man (inset) has exuded confidence that home team Kenya will deliver a strong performance in the match that will be staged at the 55,000-seater Moi International Sports Centre (MISC) Kasarani in Nairobi from 3pm.
At the same time, Harambee Stars defender Alphonce Omija has emphasised the need for Kenyan players to approach each game in the tournament as a final. Chan is a biennial football tournament exclusively reserved for players plying their trade in their respective domestic leagues.
Drawn in Group ‘B’, co-hosts Tanzania will face Burkina Faso in the tournament’s opening match on August 2 at the 60,000-seater Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam. The final match will take place at MISC Kasarani on August 30.
Apart from Kenya and DRC, who won the tournament in 2009 and 2016, Group ‘A’ also comprises 2018 and 2020 winners Morocco, Angola, and Zambia.
Although Onyango has acknowledged that Group ‘A’ is tough, he has tipped Kenya, coached by South African football legend Benni McCarthy, to give a good account of themselves on home soil.
“Facing former champions in the opening match will not be easy,” observed the midfielder who hopes to be selected to represent Kenya in the tournament.
“I know Kenya will be prepared for our first match, and the task ahead. It is not an easy pool, but I know the players who will be selected will be ready to perform. The trick will be to take one match at a time. I am confident the team will give a good account of itself,” Onyango said.
“It is a big advantage that Kenya will be playing at home. The players will need to give their best, taking each match as a final. They must respect each opponent, be they former champions, or teams making their debut in the tournament.”
After opening their campaign against DRC, Kenya will have a three-day rest before facing Angola at Kasarani on August 7. In their third fixture on August 10 at the same venue, Kenya will clash with Morocco before concluding their group matches against Zambia on August 17 at Kasarani. Only the top two teams from each of the four groups will proceed to the quarter-finals scheduled for August 22 and 23.
Harambee Stars forward Mohamed Bajaber plays against Gambia in a 2026 Fifa World Cup Group ‘F’ qualifying match at Stade Alassane Quattara in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire on March 21, 2025.
Photo credit: Pool
Onyango and Omija are among the players who represented Kenya in two international friendly matches against Chad on June 7 and 10 at Marrakech Stadium in Morocco. While the first match ended 0-0, Kenya won the second encounter 2-1.
Onyango captained Harambee Stars in the second match, and handed over the captain’s armband to veteran defender Brian Mandela in the second half.
He has described the opportunity of captaining Harambee Stars as “a great honour”, vowing to give his best should he be selected to the squad.
“I look forward to playing in Chan, but the decision rests with the coach. Given the opportunity, I will give my best and represent my team in the best way,” he said.
Onyango said he learnt a lot from the two friendly matches, most importantly how to control the tempo of a match and understanding of games.
The delayed 2024 Chan will be one of McCarthy’s major assignments with Harambee Stars, having led the team to a 3-3 draw against hosts Gambia, and 2-1 loss to visitors Gabon in their Group “F” fixtureof the 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifiers.
Apart from Tanzania and Burkina Faso, Group “B” also has Madagascar, Mauritania, and Central African Republic.
Uganda will open their Group ‘C’ campaign against Algeria on August 4 at the 45,202-seater Nelson Mandela National Stadium in Kampala. Other teams in the pool are Niger, Guinea, and South African.
Champions Senegal will open their Group ‘D’ campaign against Nigeria at 15,000-seater Amaan Stadium in Zanzibar on August 5. Sudan, Republic of the Congo, and Nigeria are the other teams in the pool.
Quarter-final matches will be played on August 22 and 23, and semi-finals on August 26. Nelson Mandela Stadium will host the third-place play-off on August 29.
