Benni McCarthy's Harambee Stars beat Chad 2-1 in an international friendly game staged in Marrakech, Morocco, on Tuesday night.
The 47-year-old South Africa legend came into the match under pressure to deliver after failing to win his initial three engagements across all competitions. He started with a 3-3 draw against the Gambia in the 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifiers, before falling 2-1 to Gabon in the same competition.
The initial meeting with Les Sao ended goalless, a result that wasn't anticipated by the fans owing to the quality within the Kenyan side as opposed to the opponent's.
Stars roar in the first half
Kenya started the game well, attacking with every chance that they got which was an improvement from the previous outing.
A good start was rewarded in the 17th minute when Ben Stanley Omondi played a good cross from the left in search of Emmanuel Osoro. The Talanta FC man did well to find the back of the net for a deserved opener.
Stars got their second of the evening in the 45th minute; Osoro did well to get past his markers before squaring the ball in the danger zone. The advancing David Sakwa guided the ball home to ensure his team went to the break with a 2-0 advantage.
Kenya survives a nervy second half to claim vital win
Les Sao came back stronger after the break, hoping to cancel the two goals and probably a winner.
It looked like they would stage a successful comeback when they pulled a goal back in the 60th minute. Ahmat Youssouf crossed the ball to Ali Mahamat Adam who beat the defenders and goalkeeper Faruk Shikhalo to the ball.
Despite a good showing, Chad was unable to get the result they needed and ended up losing 2-1.
The next stop for Benni will be in August, when he will manage Kenya in the 2024 Chan competition. It will be vital for the former Manchester United Strikers' coach to ensure he gets it right as he rebuilds the team for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
