Kenya coach McCarthy warns against complacency, Angola boss seeks revival
Kenya head coach Benni McCarthy has urged his players to remain focused and keep their eyes on the prize as they prepare to face Angola in their second Group A match at the TotalEnergies CAF African Nations Championship (CHAN) 2024 on Thursday.
The Harambee Stars opened their campaign with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over DR Congo on Sunday and will be in a strong position to reach the knockout stages if they collect another three points against the Angolans.
Despite the wave of optimism and confidence following the victory, McCarthy has insisted that nothing has been achieved yet.
“Nothing is done yet. That was just one win — an important one — but we have to remain focused. We faced a very tough opponent and worked hard to get that result, but we shouldn’t let it get into our heads,” McCarthy said.
“The focus now shifts squarely to Angola and the ambition is the same — go in and fight for maximum points.”
The former South Africa international acknowledged that Angola are a possession-oriented team but said his main concern is how to break through their defence.
“I don’t care even if we have 30 or 40 percent possession. What matters to me is that we’re able to get the win from that match. We saw against Morocco — Angola had almost 60 percent possession — but at the end of the day, it’s the scoreline that matters,” he added.
Players echo McCarthy’s caution
His sentiments were echoed by defender Alphonce Omija, who said that while the team is more confident after the win, they cannot afford to drop their guard.
“The DRC game is behind us, and we have to place our focus on what lies ahead. Angola is a good team and we have prepared well for them,” said Omija.
“Mentally, physically and tactically, we’ve done everything to get ourselves in the right frame. We know that we carry the hopes of 55 million Kenyans on our shoulders and we cannot let them down.”
Angola aiming to bounce back
Angola, meanwhile, are desperate to recover after a disappointing start, having lost 2-0 to two-time champions Morocco at the Nyayo National Stadium in their opening match.
Head coach Pedro Gonçalves acknowledged the challenge of facing Kenya on home soil and knows his players must be mentally strong to respond.
“We saw in the first game that the stadium was full and they enjoyed a lot of support. That definitely gives them a good advantage,” Gonçalves admitted.
“They are a very good team, with athletic and quick players, so we’re going to face a side that is twice as hard to beat. But we know what is required of us and we know what we need to do. We have to try and bounce back from the opening day disappointment.”
Angola look inward for improvement
Defender Eddie Afonso said the Palancas Negras have carefully analysed their performance against Morocco and are determined to return stronger.
“We sat down and looked at our mistakes. We reflected on what we did wrong and also on what we did right. We have drawn up the strategy we’ll take into the game against Kenya,” said the Petro de Luanda man.
“We know it won’t be easy. They are playing at home and will have the crowd behind them. But we’re experienced enough to know how to deal with that.”