The story of CHAN 2024 in Kenya has become a stirring tapestry of belief, resilience, and a nation rallying behind its own. Harambee Stars have ripped up pre-tournament scripts, topped Group A, and booked a quarter-final at Kasarani against Madagascar, all while sparking conversations far beyond the touchline.
From underdogs to group leaders in Nairobi
Harambee Stars stepped into Group A as underdogs in a bracket featuring Angola, Zambia, DR Congo, and two-time winners Morocco. The results told a different tale as Kenya beat DR Congo 1-0, drew 1-1 with Angola, edged Morocco 1-0, then defeated Zambia 1-0 to finish with 10 points out of 12. The team’s rise blended discipline on the pitch with a growing confidence off it, a combination that has become a defining note of this run.
Even before the final group match against Zambia, the maths tilted in Kenya’s favor. CHAN regulations use the head-to-head rule first, and since Kenya had beaten both Morocco and DR Congo, only one of those could pass them regardless of the final-day permutations. That safety net set the stage for a push to secure top spot, and the Stars did exactly that at Kasarani.
The Zambia match and the man with the whistle
As Kenya prepared to close the group, all eyes also turned to a rising Gambian official, Lamin N Jammeh, appointed to oversee the Zambia v Kenya clash at Moi International Sports Center, with kickoff set for 3pm. Jammeh’s journey is a testament to persistence, from refereeing Nawettan games in Brikama in 2008 to climbing the Gambia Football Federation ladder and earning recognition for his calm authority.
By 2016 he was in the Gambia Division One League, then in 2018 he earned the Sports Journalists Association of The Gambia Best Referee award and attended the CAF and FIFA promising referees course in Cairo. The breakthrough accelerated in 2019 when he received the FIFA badge, after which he handled CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup qualifiers and took charge of four matches at the WAFU Zone A U20 Tournament in Guinea, serving as fourth official in the final between Senegal and Mali. His path reflects a blend of technical growth and continental exposure, the kind of trajectory that brings composure to pressure-cooker fixtures.
Jammeh’s numbers reveal a tight but measured style. Across the 2023 to 2024 cycle he oversaw seven fixtures in World Cup qualifiers, CAF club competitions, CAF qualifying and CHAN, issuing 30 yellow cards at a rate of 4.3 per match with no red cards. In the early stages of 2024 to 2025 he showed even more restraint with three yellows in two Confederation Cup games, a profile that suggests a referee who prefers communication, presence, and fairness over drastic decisions.
| CASINO | BONUS | INFO | RATING | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
bonus
100% welcome bonus up to $500
See 6 Bonuses
|
info
Lots of bonuses, 3,000+ games, instant-play & fast payouts No.1668 / JAZ |
|
||
|
bonus
New players get 40 free spins and a Ksh 200 freebet!
See 7 Bonuses
|
info
BK 0000665 PG 0000405 Good combination of online casino and betting platform |
|
||
|
bonus
First Bonus: 200% Deposit Bonus
See 2 Bonuses
|
info
8048/JAZ2024-001 HunnyPlay is licensed under Curaçao (365/JAZ). Join now and win crypto instantly! |
|
||
|
bonus
Welcome Bonus Package – Up to 225% + 100 FS
See 4 Bonuses
|
info
Large welcome bonus, crypto-friendly, huge provider list. No. 1668/JAZ |
|
||
|
bonus
Register for up to 31,400 KSH bonus on deposits!
See 10 Bonuses
|
info
No. ALSI-112310012-F15 Unique selection of slots & games |
|
Benni McCarthy and the spark in the dressing room
Inside the camp the tone has been firm and ambitious. Kenya head coach Benni McCarthy challenged his players to finish the group with a statement, a message that echoed through a squad already buoyed by results few predicted. Defender Daniel Sakari credited McCarthy’s leadership for inspiring the unbeaten stretch, a nod to the belief that has grown with every matchday.
The Stars’ momentum has been rooted in clear roles and collective buy-in. Each narrow win carried the weight of a team discovering itself in real time, with composure in key moments and a willingness to dig into the fine margins that separate good teams from winning teams. That edge, coupled with the calm oversight of officials like Jammeh, created a platform for Harambee Stars to assert themselves against seasoned opponents.
Quarter-final path clarified and a Nairobi date with Madagascar
By the end of Group B, the calculus was simple. If Kenya won Group A, they would face Madagascar in Nairobi. If they slipped, Tanzania would loom in Dar es Salaam. Madagascar did their part with a 2-1 victory over Burkina Faso at the Amaan Stadium in Zanzibar, a result that sealed a ticket and a flight to the Kenyan capital.
The Barea needed to win to usurp Mauritania and delivered early through Fenohasina Razafimaro’s audacious lob past Moussa Traore, then held their nerve after Souleymane Sangare’s equaliser, before Lalaina Rafanomezantsoa converted a second-half penalty to settle it. It was a performance that underscored character, something head coach Romuald Rakotondrabe highlighted afterward.
We won the game, but it wasn’t straightforward at all. Fortunately, we scored two goals, but the game was very difficult. Our players played with character and a will to continue this competition.
There is no team in our group that didn’t deserve to qualify. I doff my hat to all the teams in our group for the high level of football they exhibited
With Kenya sealing top spot, the quarter-final is set at Kasarani against Madagascar, while Morocco meet Tanzania in Dar es Salaam. For the Stars, it is the reward for clean work over four matches and a chance to add another chapter in front of their own.
Fuel in the tank and belief from the top
Behind the on-field surge sits a powerful current of support. Football Kenya Federation president Hussein Mohammed credited President William Ruto’s direct engagement and incentives as an important driver of the run. Each player and technical team member received KSh 1 million for a win and KSh 500,000 for a draw, and with three wins, one draw and qualification, the tally reached KSh 5 million each.
The motivation, the inspiration, you can see it in his eyes. By now, he knows every single player by name.
Mohammed described the impact as both financial and emotional. He cited a head-of-state presence that steadies nerves and raises standards in the room, a tone that mirrors the competitive edge Kenya have shown in the tightest moments.
It is clear from the very moment we walk into that room. He tells them, You have played your part, now I will play mine, and he always makes sure to keep that promise.
He pushed back at any doubts over the pledge being honored, then summed up the shift in mood around the team as they emerged from a group many had labeled unforgiving.
Nobody can dispute this because I have personally witnessed us fulfilling that pledge.
At the start of CHAN, nobody believed Harambee Stars would get past the group stage. After all, we were in the so-called group of death, yet our boys have risen and triumphed.
A national conversation on money, maturity, and tomorrow
As prize money and bonuses accumulated, Kenyans took the discussion in a uniquely constructive direction. On social platforms, fans urged the players to turn bonuses into long-term security, to resist lifestyle inflation, and to lean into investments that can grow quietly in the background. The advice read like a community blueprint for sustainable success, pragmatic and grounded.
There were proposals tailored to different appetites and skills. One suggestion was to open a pharmacy in a strategic location and hire two qualified pharmtechs. Another urged a laddered approach, starting with low-risk options like government bonds or Sacco shares, then using the passive income to venture into riskier business. Some outlined agribusiness paths with land, a slaughterhouse, and livestock, while another mapped out a car hire venture built around an Axio 1.5 litre, complete with tracking and a focused social media plan for steady monthly returns. The message was simple, make the money work, do not let it drift.
Former Industrialisation CAS David Osiany put forward a crisp model for KSh 2.5 million. His plan included buying and branding two TukTuks, investing in semi-commercial juicing machines, registering a business, covering three months of operations, and saving KSh 500,000 in a Sacco. It was as much about discipline and patience as it was about profit, a reminder that the habits built now can endure well beyond CHAN.
Ensure consistency and professionalism and build a brand as the roving fruits and juices guy who serves fresh juices and fruits.
It won’t make you a billionaire within two weeks, but with patience, you will be a solid millionaire in 5 years.
Context and credibility in a changing football landscape
Kenya’s rise has come despite a troubled past that included allegations of match-fixing and a weak local league, a narrative that had many writing them off before a ball was kicked. This run is not a cure-all, but it is a rebuttal, a living counterargument delivered in four measured performances that rewarded conviction and structure.
Tying belief to behavior is the thread that runs through this campaign. From the president’s presence to the coach’s demands, from the referee’s calm hand to the fans’ financial advice, Kenya have built momentum on many fronts. That momentum is fragile in tournament football, yet it is also real, shaped by daily choices and a refusal to be intimidated by reputations.
Three pillars behind the surge
- belief in the dressing room, a voice that demanded a statement and a group that leaned into the challenge,
- clarity on the sidelines and with the whistle, a referee profile that kept the game flowing and a coach who kept standards rising,
- backing from the country, financial incentives from the top and smart advice from fans that framed success as a foundation for the future.
What to expect against Madagascar
Madagascar arrive with momentum of their own after a must-win night in Zanzibar. Razafimaro’s early lob and Rafanomezantsoa’s penalty showed quality under pressure, and Rakotondrabe’s comments underscored a team built on character. Kenya’s advantage is familiar ground at Kasarani, the rhythm of a home crowd, and the confidence of four deliberate steps that have brought them here.
The quarter-final will test patience and game management. It will ask whether the Stars can again seize decisive moments, whether they can match Madagascar’s poise, and whether the noise of Nairobi can become a twelfth man without becoming a distraction. This is the frontier, where the details matter and margins tighten.
The human heartbeat of a campaign
In the span of two weeks, Kenya’s football conversation has widened. It now includes the precise arc of a Razafimaro lob and the crisp ring of a referee’s whistle. It nods to a president who knows players by name and a federation chief who measures promises kept. It listens to Kenyans drawing up business plans and warning against quick thrills, and it celebrates a team that kept its nerve when so many expected the opposite.
What happens next will depend on all of it, the quiet hours on the training pitch, the cool of a trusted official, the push from Kasarani, and the discipline that has already carried this group to the top of an unforgiving group. Whatever the result against Madagascar, this campaign has already given Kenya more than a scoreline. It has offered a mirror of what is possible when talent meets trust and when a nation decides to get behind its team with its voice, its wallet, and its wisdom.
