Debutants Kenya moved close to the quarterfinals of the African Nations Championship (Chan) with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Morocco on Sunday.
Ryan Ogam’s 42nd-minute strike proved decisive at a raucous Moi International Sports Centre on Sunday, as Benni McCarthy’s side defied the odds and Morocco’s unbeaten CHAN record to seize early control of Group A.
Ogam steered in the winner and McCarthy’s men then defended the lead with remarkable resolve after Chrispine Erambo’s red card—upgraded by VAR in first-half stoppage time—left the co-hosts with ten men for the entire second half.
The result, following a 1–0 win over DR Congo and a 1–1 draw with Angola, lifts Kenya to seven points from three games and leaves them within touching distance of a historic quarter-final berth on their tournament debut.
Morocco, who opened with a 2–0 defeat of Angola and arrived on a 14-match unbeaten CHAN run, were made to look ordinary by a disciplined, combative home team roared on by a packed crowd.
The win puts co-hosts Kenya on the verge of a historic quarter-final place, while Morocco’s hopes of advancing now rest on recovering in their final two group matches.
