- Kenya will have their work cut out for them in this year's African Nations Championship after the draw was made on Wednesday
- Harambee Stars, who are participating for the first time, will play two-time champions of the tournament, the finalist and the bronze medalist
- TUKO.co.ke takes a look at each of the four teams that Harambee Stars have fielded ahead of the tournament later this year in August
As soon as McDonald Mariga took the ball to confirm Morocco will play Kenya at the African Nations (CHAN) 2024 Finals, the crowd inside the Tsavo Ball Room of the KICC disappeared.
The tie was less than five seconds, and still Harambee Stars it had already achieved one of the highlights of the tournament.
Source: Twitter
In the press, my colleagues joked, 'This is gone', 'They have fed us' 'Mariga would return the ball and take the engine.' The jokes, or self-pity increased as Kenya and Morocco were joined by DR Congo, Angola and Zambia in Group A of CHAN 2024.
“This is a Group of Death,” admitted Mariga on the sidelines. “These are big games, and it only means that we have to prepare well. Now that the championship is postponed, we have time to prepare with the team.”
The midfielder who won the 2010 Champions League is the Deputy President of the Football Association of Kenya.
Kenneth Muguna answers about Kenya's uniform
So, Death Squad? That's a word that is often thrown around every time a tournament draw is made. Here, we take a look at why Harambee Stars have won the title and what the home fans can expect to see from their opponents in August.
For the neutral, these will be very interesting games, but for the dedicated Kenyan fan, it promises to be a nail-biting experience.
“Yes, it's the Death Squad, but we're on home soil. We have to make a statement,” Harambee Stars midfielder Kenneth Muguna tells me. “I have faith in the current leadership of FKF, we will prepare well, and I know the fans will come out in large numbers to support us. So anything is possible.”
Take a closer look at the Harambee Stars Group at the CHAN 2024 tournament
Morocco
It's right if we start with the Harambee Stars team that landed first and created a lot of emotions, right? Morocco is the country whose football development has passed more years than the rest of the continent.
From world-class training centers to state-of-the-art structures, the Moroccan Football Federation and the government have taken a strong interest in supporting the sport. The results of this were made clear when the Atlas Lions reached the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup.
Morocco will enter this tournament as two-time winners, having reached in 2018 and 2020. The team will be well fed with players from the leading domestic league clubs who are often very successful in CAF inter-club competitions.
DR Congo
Kenya will not face another two-time champion when they take on Fimbu. DR Congo have played seven CHAN matches, winning in 2009 and 2016.
One could argue that their form has dipped since their 2016 triumph and TP Mazembe's recent misfortune, but Otis N'Goma's side will still have a better squad than most teams in the competition.
Angola
Angola shook a few heads after reaching the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations last year. Palancas Negras' cunning, complex passing and clear goals attracted many.
Of course, head coach Pedro Gonçalves will not have many players in the squad, but his side's dominance in the COSAFA Cup shows he still has a group of talented players to call upon.
Angola's best finish was when they were beaten by the eventual winners in the 2011 final against Tunisia. This will be their fifth match in the tournament.
Zambia
Chipolopolo will also be playing their fifth match at CHAN. Their best finish was in 2009 when they won the bronze medal. Since then, they have been eliminated from their group but failed to reach the quarter finals.
They will rely on the wealth of experience of their coach, Wedson Nyirenda, who was a striker in his playing days. The former Kaizer Chiefs star has been leading two Zambian clubs and was the coach of the team when they reached the quarter-finals of the 2018 edition.
The midfielder of Harambee Stars may leave the Czech Republic
TUKO.co.ke has also reported that Harambee Stars midfielder Timothy Ouma is close to joining Czech giants Slavia Prague.
Ouma, who currently plays for IF Elfsborg, skipped their training camp in Spain to complete the deal.
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Source: TUKO.co.ke
