African Nations Championship
Group A (Sunday, August 10, 2025)
Kenya 1 Morocco 0
Angola 2 Zambia 1
Nairobi, Kenya: Kenya lit up the Moi International Sports Centre on Sunday, ending Morocco’s 14-match CHAN unbeaten run with a gutsy 1–0 win that put the debutants within touching distance of a historic quarter-final berth.
Ryan Ogam’s 42nd-minute strike, a cool left-footed finish after Ben Stanley Omondi’s shot was blocked, sent the home crowd into raptures. But the victory came with grit as well as glory, after VAR upgraded Chrispine Erambo’s yellow card to red for a foul on Anas El Mahraoui, forcing the hosts to play the entire second half with ten men.
Kenya, unbeaten after three matches, now lead Group A with seven points, following earlier results of a 1–0 win over DR Congo and a 1–1 draw with Angola. They need just one more point to confirm their spot in the knockouts on their tournament debut.
Backed by a partisan crowd, Benni McCarthy’s side started on the front foot, with early chances falling to Ogam and Boniface Muchiri.
Morocco, coached by Tarik Sektioui, dominated possession after the break but met a wall in goalkeeper Byrne Omondi and defenders Sylvester Owino and Mike Kibwage. Substitutes Daniel Sakari, David Sakwa and Alphonce Omija came on to disrupt the visitors’ rhythm and run down the clock.
In the other match of the day, Angola produced a stunning comeback to beat Zambia 2–1. Dominic Chanda’s 73rd-minute strike had put Zambia ahead, but substitute Kaporal turned the game on its head, equalising from a Gogoró pass in the 79th minute and smashing home the winner seven minutes later.
The win lifts Angola to four points, three behind leaders Kenya, while Morocco and DR Congo each have three points from two games. Zambia remain bottom without a point.
Kenya’s win makes them only the third CHAN debutant to beat a former champion, after DR Congo in 2009 and Libya in 2014. For McCarthy, who once scored against Morocco at AFCON 1998, it was a tactical triumph built on discipline, spirit, and ruthless finishing.
Updated Group A standings after Matchday 3:
- Kenya – 7 points (3 matches)
- Angola – 4 points (3 matches)
- Morocco – 3 points (2 matches)
- DR Congo – 3 points (2 matches)
- Zambia – 0 points (2 matches)
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