Kenya may have already qualified for the quarter-finals, but Sunday’s final Group A clash against Zambia at the CHAN 2024 tournament is about pride, dominance, and proving that their strong performance so far is no accident.
Harambee Stars are top of Group A with seven points, ahead of Morocco and DR Congo, and are looking to finish the group stage unbeaten at a packed Kasarani Stadium.
Head coach Benni McCarthy says the match is still crucial, even though qualification is already secured.
“Everybody called this the Group of Death and expected us to have zero points,” McCarthy said. “But we are on top and we want to stay there. Tomorrow is a game we must win—not just to qualify, but to prove we deserve to be here.”
McCarthy, whose team has already beaten Morocco and DR Congo, said winning against Zambia will send a clear message.
“To be the best, you have to beat the best,” he said. “We want to make a statement so no one can say we were lucky—it was hard work.”
Defender Daniel Sakari said the team wants to repay the fans who have supported them.
“We want to finish well and make the country proud. Playing at home in front of our fans pushes us to do more,” he said.
Over 27,000 fans are expected at Kasarani to cheer on the national team.
Zambia Playing for Pride
For Zambia, the situation is different. They have lost all three of their matches and are already out of the tournament. However, coach Avram Grant says they will still fight for a win.
“This is our last game, unfortunately, but we want to end with a win,” said the former Chelsea and Ghana coach. “Kenya is a strong, well-organised team, but our focus is improving this young squad.”
Zambian captain Kelvin Kampamba echoed the same message:
“We want to bow out with pride. We know we disappointed our fans, but we will try to win this match for them.”
This will be the 35th meeting between Kenya and Zambia. Zambia have won 21 of their past encounters, while Kenya have won six. Kenya beat Zambia 2-1 in their most recent meeting, a friendly in 2020.
While Kenya are aiming to finish top and head into the quarter-finals with confidence, Zambia are fighting to restore pride before exiting the competition.
Kickoff is set for Sunday at 3:00 pm at Kasarani.
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