McCarthy heaps praise on Zambia captain, teases him to join Harambee Stars
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Reading Time: 2min | Mon. 18.08.25. | 20:36
Even though Zambia were on the losing end, McCarthy could not help but admire the midfielder, with the two seen having a chat after the match
Harambee Stars head coach Benni McCarthy was impressed by Zambia captain Kelvin Kampamba and, in a light-hearted conversation, asked the midfielder to consider representing Kenya.
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Kenya faced Zambia in the final 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN) Group A match played on Sunday, 17 August, at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani and emerged 1-0 victors.
Ryan Ogam's 75th-minute clinical strike was the difference in the match that was crucial in determining Group A's final standings.
Even though Zambia were on the losing end, McCarthy could not help but admire the kind of player that Kampamba is, with the two seen having a chat after the match.
In an exclusive interview with Mozzart Sport, the Zesco United midfielder shared details of their chat after the full-time whistle.
“The coach loves me a lot. He has been following me, and he told me that he would love me to play for his team because the way they are playing, they lack creative midfielders like me, and then we laughed and I wished him and Kenya all the best,” said Kampamba.
The 28-year-old also shared why Zambia had a poor championship that has now seen them exit the tournament without a single point, having lost all four group matches.
“We didn't start well against Congo, which is very key in this tournament. We worked hard but lost concentration in the last minutes when we played Angola, and against Kenya, you could see the guys were tired,” he stated.
Additionally, the former Al-Nasr (Libya) man lamented the inadequate preparations coming into the continental tourney.
“We have equally not started pre-season in Zambia, which may have affected us in the tournament because we could have prepared better, because we did not play even a single friendly game coming into this tournament,” he added.
Kenya, who finished at the apex of Group A, will now face Madagascar in the first quarter-final match slated for Friday, 22 August at Kasarani Stadium from 1700 hrs.
On the same day, second-placed Morocco will travel to Tanzania to play the host country in the second quarter-final at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam from 2000hrs.
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