Kenya’s fairytale run at the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN) came to a heartbreaking end on Friday evening at Kasarani Stadium, as Harambee Stars bowed out 4-3 on penalties to Madagascar after a tense 1-1 draw in regulation and extra time.
Coach Benni McCarthy, who had reshuffled his line-up for the quarterfinal clash, saw his charges dominate long spells of the game but fail to convert their chances. Kenya, debutants at the tournament, had topped the so-called “group of death” unbeaten, but the knockout stage proved unforgiving.
The hosts started brightly, with captain Abud Omar testing Madagascar’s goalkeeper Ramandimbisoa “Toldo” Lalain’arinjaka from a deflected free-kick inside the opening two minutes. Much of the first half belonged to the Stars, with chances falling to Marvin Nabwire, Boniface Muchiri, and Ryan Ogam, but poor finishing and the brilliance of “Toldo” kept the scoreline level.
Kenya finally broke the deadlock just two minutes after the restart. A well-worked set piece saw Muchiri deliver a precise free-kick that was headed home by defender Alphonse Omija—his first goal in his debut tournament. The stadium erupted as Harambee Stars took a deserved 1-0 lead.
The advantage, however, was undone in the 68th minute when Lewis Bandi handled inside the box. Madagascar’s danger man, Fenohasina Gilles, calmly slotted the penalty past Bryne Omondi to make it 1-1.
Both sides battled fiercely through the remainder of normal time and extra time, with Omondi pulling off a crucial save to deny Madagascar a late winner, while Edward Omondi and Austine Odongo spurned opportunities at the other end.
With nothing to separate the sides after 120 minutes, the game went to penalties. Kenya scored through Siraj Mohammed, Daniel Sakari, and Sylvester Owino, with Omondi even saving one penalty to keep hopes alive. But misses from Mike Kibwage and Alphonse Omija proved costly, allowing Madagascar to edge the shootout 4-3 and book their place in the semifinals.
Despite the defeat, Harambee Stars leave CHAN 2024 with heads held high. From topping their group against continental heavyweights to pushing Madagascar to the brink, McCarthy’s men have won the admiration of fans and signalled Kenya’s growing potential on the continental stage.
