Kenya's national team, the Harambee stars, is encouraged to improve their defensive mistakes to increase every chance to go far in the Total Arican Nations Championship (Chan) that is currently in East Africa.
Harambee stars, under coach Benni McCarthy, Toppen currently group A after their opening 1-0 win against two-time Chan champions Dr. ir. Congo before he secures a vital 1-1 draw against Angola in Kasarani Stadium on Thursday.
Against Dr. Congo was Kenya 1-0 with just five minutes, but the goal was excluded from offside after a VAR assessment.
They were punished against Angola in the seventh minute when Bernabe Muafulo Tomas won the ball of the right wing and came in a good position before he set up Jo Paciencia, who scored along Bryan Omondi.
Kenya saw midfielder Marvin Nabwire sent away in the 21st minute after an error from Omondi. The former Bandari FC stakeer committed a blunder by giving the ball away while trying to free up a back pass, and in an attempt to prevent a goal, Nabwire took the Paciencia shirt and was sent for a second bookable attack.
Onsika: First goal was 'avoidable and defensible'
According to former Harambee -stars -striker Elijah Ontika, Kenya has gone away with blunder after blunder, especially at the back.
He further pointed out that if they commit such mistakes against a team like Morocco, who always let every chance count, they will be punished without an instant.
“The goal (against Angola) was fully avoidable and defensible if we could have used our heads in a calm way,” Ontika told FlashScore.
“The players have to look forward to each other's position on the field. If a defender has been attacked, the number five and four must spread in a favorable way to cover the area.
“And the rest of the players, after losing the ball, should fall in shape within 10 seconds, this is what the team costs to admit early goals.
Keny's Suleiman Okaro celebrates at the end of Gamefkf Media
“We don't cover each other. If a defender goes up to attack, we leave a huge gap because we do not protect each other, and as such we remain vulnerable to admitted.
“We must now be happy that we have four points of the first two games, and this is because we have played against teams that did not fought to take their chances. A good team who knows what it means to score goals, Kenya can punish on every occasion.”
Onsika continued: “We easily give balls away to the opponent. I looked at a player (against Angola), who gave the ball away when we attacked, and instead of hunting it, he walked casually. At the moment we are certainly less defensive, and it means that we are easy to admit.”
He concluded: “If we are not looking out, Morocco Kenya Thrashen will like Algeria with Uganda. Kenya cannot even hold the ball for a minute.”
Former Harambee-Stars midfielder Charles Owemba doubted the defense of Kenya, especially in the last-minute effort of Angola, who was not allowed for the outside after VAR intervention.
“Our defenders should have dealt better with that situation. Why defend so well for larger parts of the game and then sleep over during the last minutes of added time?” He posed to FlashScore.
In the field of Morocco, Okwemba advised: “We have to play a very tight and closed game against them and avoid that defensive expiration; Arabs are very good at punishing such errors.”
Kenya saw the top of group A go with four points of two games, for Morocco and Dr. Congo, both of whom have three, while the outcome left Angola with one point and needed a victory in their last match against Dr. Congo to hope to continue.