The Harambee Stars secured a quarter-final tie in their home country after a narrow victory against Zambia in their final Group A game at the African Nations Championships.
Ryan Ogam scored the only goal of the game with 15 minutes to go to ensure Kenya finished top of the gruelling group, which also had the likes of Morocco, Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Going into the game, there was an outside chance that Kenya could face Tanzania in the quarters since Taifa Stars had already secured top of the group status thanks to their opening three wins in Group B.
Despite the possibility of playing the quarter-final abroad, Benni McCarthy’s team delivered a strong performance, dominating much of the match before finally opening the scoring in the 75th minute.
Harambee Stars’ win on Sunday, August 17, carried important implications.
Kenya will now face Madagascar in the quarter-finals, with the match scheduled to be held in Kenya.
Meanwhile, Morocco defeated DR Congo 3-1 at Nyayo Stadium on Sunday, but their effort was insufficient, and they finished second in Group A.
Besides the chance to play the quarter-finals in their home country, the Harambee Stars’ win over Zambia also came with a hefty Ksh2.5 million perk, which was promised by President William Ruto days before the cracker and an additional Ksh500,000 from Raila Odinga.
Accounting for the other cash rewards from the government from their previous victories, Harambee Stars players have now bagged Ksh5 million each for their performances in the group stage alone.
