Kenya’s debut at the African Nations Championship (CHAN) came with a big surprise. Head coach Benni McCarthy said the tactics he used in their 1-0 win over Morocco were inspired by Fenerbahçe manager José Mourinho.

Kenya shocked the two-time CHAN winners with Ryan Ogam’s goal in the 42nd minute. But the game became more difficult when midfielder Chrispine Erambo was sent off after a VAR review upgraded his yellow card to a red. This meant Kenya had to play the whole second half with just ten players.

Morocco pushed hard for an equaliser, but Kenya defended strongly until the final whistle. McCarthy explained that he learned how to manage such tense situations while playing under Mourinho at FC Porto. According to him, the Portuguese coach is a master at controlling games when the odds are against you.

He said playing with fewer players is tough, but Mourinho taught him how to make it work. The key is knowing when to tighten the defence and which player to sacrifice. It may not always be pretty for fans, but keeping the lead is the most important thing.

McCarthy also joked that Kenya didn’t just “park the bus” to stop Morocco—they parked both a train and a bus in front of the goal. His game plan worked perfectly, giving Kenya a memorable start to their CHAN journey.