Coach Benni McCarthy’s tenure as head coach of the Harambee Stars began dramatically and excitingly, as his team drew 3-3 with Gambia in a Group F World Cup qualification match at the Stade Alassane Ouattara in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, on Thursday night.
In his first match since taking the helm, McCarthy laid a solid foundation for the team, evident in how the players fought back twice to secure a point against The Gambia. Known for his attacking style of play from his previous coaching roles at Amazulu and Cape Town City in South Africa, as well as Manchester United, McCarthy opted for a more cautious and defensive strategy in this match. He included three primarily defensive midfielders in his starting eleven: Richard Odada, Teddy Akumu, and Ismael Gonzalez.
This defensive setup proved beneficial, providing stability in the Kenyan half, which was crucial given it was McCarthy’s first match in charge. The approach worked well in the opening 20 minutes, resulting in a promising counter-attack where Rooney Onyango delivered a precise cross to Michael Olunga. Unfortunately, Olunga headed the ball over the bar when he would have had a clear opportunity to score.
The Gambia then took control for the next 25 minutes, dictating play in Kenya’s half. However, the defensive approach helped stabilize the situation until The Gambia broke through the defense in the 28th minute. Fadera dribbled forward and was fouled by Ian Otieno, leading to a penalty. Fortunately for Kenya, Otieno redeemed himself by diving the right way to save the penalty.
Right after the break, McCarthy began shifting towards his attacking style by substituting Gonzalez for William Lenkupae. However, this transition left gaps in the defense that Gambia capitalized on, scoring two goals in the 55th and 62nd minutes.
To further bolster the attack, McCarthy brought on Jonah Ayunga and handed Mohammed Bajaber his debut and after brought on Duke Abuya. Almost immediately, these substitutions demonstrated McCarthy’s attacking philosophy, as the Stars pushed forward more aggressively, earned several corners, and even won a penalty, which the captain converted. Bajaber then scored a spectacular goal to equalize.
The Gambia regained the lead in the 83rd minute through Barrow, who took advantage of a defensive lapse by Kenya that kept him onside, allowing him to walk the ball into the net. However, Kenya had the last word in the match when Lenkupae scored a dramatic equalizer in the 96th minute, also on his debut.
The next World Cup qualifying match is against Gabon on Sunday at 4 PM at Nyayo Stadium. Will we see more of McCarthy’s attacking style in that game?
