MATCH FACTS: Kenya open TotalEnergies CAF CHAN campaign against DR Congo in Nairobi

Kenya will make their long-awaited debut at the TotalEnergies CAF African Nations Championship (CHAN) when they face two-time champions DR Congo on Sunday, 3 August in Nairobi.

This Group B clash marks the first-ever CHAN meeting between the two nations and promises to be a historic occasion for the hosts.

DR Congo will be up against East African opposition for the fourth time in the competition’s history, having previously defeated Burundi and Rwanda 2-1 in 2014 and 2016 respectively, and drawn 0-0 with Uganda in 2022—all in the group stages.

They have also faced host nations twice in the knockout rounds, beating Rwanda 2-1 in the 2016 quarterfinals before losing 2-1 to Cameroon in the same stage in 2018.

Kenya – Key Facts:

·       Making their CHAN tournament debut; one of two debutants in 2024 alongside the Central African Republic.

·       Become the 33rd different nation to feature at the CHAN finals.

·       Head coach Benni McCarthy, a former South African international, famously scored both goals for Bafana Bafana in a 2-1 win over DR Congo in the 1998 AFCON semi-finals.

·       Will aim to become only the second host nation to win the CHAN title on home soil, following Morocco’s success in 2018.

DR Congo – Key Facts:

·       Making their seventh appearance at CHAN—the most of any team in the tournament’s history.

·       Took part in the first four editions (2009–2016), missed 2018, but returned for the last two tournaments (2020, 2022).

·       Won the inaugural CHAN title in 2009 (defeated Ghana in the final) and lifted a second crown in 2016 (beat Mali in the final).

·       Advanced beyond the group stage five times; their only group stage exit came in 2022.

·       Opening game record: W4 D1 L1.

o   Wins: 2-0 vs Libya (2009), 1-0 vs Mauritania (2014), 3-0 vs Ethiopia (2016), 1-0 vs Congo (2020).

o   Loss: 2-0 vs Cameroon (2011).

o   Draw: 0-0 vs Uganda (2022).

·       Have kept a clean sheet in five of their six CHAN openers, conceding only in 2011.

·       Failed to win a match at the 2022 finals (D2 L1), their first winless tournament.

·       Failed to score a single goal in 2022, drawing 0-0 with Uganda and Côte d’Ivoire before losing 3-0 to Senegal.

·       Enter the 2024 tournament on a four-match winless run (D2 L2), including their 2020 quarterfinal loss to Cameroon and all three matches at the 2022 edition.