Madagascar edge Kenya on penalties to reach CHAN 2024 semifinals

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 2024 AFRICAN NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP 

 FRIDAY (AUGUST 22) QUARTERFINAL RESULT 
🇰🇪 Kenya 1-1 Madagascar 🇲🇬
(Madagascar win 4-3 on penalties)
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Co-hosts Kenya's fairytale run at their debut African Nations Championship (CHAN) appearance ended at the quarter-final stage as they were beaten 3-4 on penalties by Madagascar in Nairobi on Friday (August 22).

Harambee Stars, coached by former South African international Benni McCarthy, had already surpassed pre-tournament expectations when they beat joint-record champions DR Congo and Morocco on their way to progressing to the knockout stage at the first time of asking.

But going on to reach the semi-finals of this competition that features only home-based players would have undoubtedly been one for the history books. But Alphonce Omija's missed penalty after Kenya and Madagascar could not be separated after 120 minutes of football all but ended the Kenyans' impressive journey in front of their faithful.

Harambee Stars exit the tournament with heads held high.

After qualifying for the quarterfinals unbeaten and top of the so-called "group of death", the Kenyans flew out of the blocks against 2022 debutants Madagascar, buoyed by a huge, passionate home crowd packed inside the Moi International Sports Centre in the capital in the first quarterfinal of this edition.

And the early pressure nearly paid off. Only two minutes into the contest, a wicked deflection from a distant freekick drew Madagascar keeper 39-year-old Michel Ramandimbisoa Lalain’arijaka ("Toldo") into a full stretch to paw the ball out of play.

The physical nature of the duel kept Senegalese referee Adalbert Diouf and his whistle busy, with tackles ubiquitous and action restricted inside the Malagasy half for long periods of the opening forty-five.

The Kenyans impressed and lifted their vocal supporters with deft, short passes and towards the half-hour mark, such sleek passage looked potent, but the flow hit a cul-de-sac as the Barea fortress did its collective work to snuff out the danger.

After a goalless opening half full of promise for the keenly watching world, Harambee Stars hit the ground running after the interval, their momentum paying dividends in the form of a breakthrough.

It all started with Boniface Muchiri being downed by Bono, who not only gave away a freekick, but also became the first player to go in referee Diouf's book. Muchiri swept the ball into the area. Omija rose highest to angle his glancing header past Malagasy keeper Toldo for the opening goal.

Not long after, Ryan Ogam had the ball in the back of the net with a close-range strike to send the Kenyans into delirium, but those celebrations were soon cut short as the goal was disallowed. Reason? Ogam's provider had impeded his minder as he took flight to set up his teammate.

Despite nearly letting the contest slip out of their fingers, Coach Romuald Rakotondrabe's ("Roro") men, who finished third at the 2022 edition in Algeria, held their own. Solid at the back to keep out the relentless Kenyan attacks, Madagascar's equally adventurous spirit goalwards offered Harambee Stars work to do.

Then arrived the decisive moment.

In the 66th minute, Toky's left-footed goal-bound shot struck Lewis Bandi's right hand inside the area. Penalty to Barea. Fenohasina stepped forward to face Omondi as the crowd held its collective breath. The Malagasy forward took a few steps backwards, before launching himself to send the Kenyan goalkeeper the wrong way to lock in his second goal at this tournament.

Ten minutes before time, Marvin Nabwire got the stadium on its feet as he raced on to a well-measured cross into the area, before seeing his effort ricochet off the bar. Any lower and that ball would have flown into the back of the net, but it wouldn't have counted. Nabwire was offside.

With no breakthrough found, the contest was forced into the 30-minute-long extra time, as the supporters willed their weary teams on.

In the 96th minute, Madagascar nearly broke Kenyan hearts, but Omondi's fine save to deny Rakotondrajoa from close range kept the Harambee Stars in it. Then, a goalmouth scramble nearly saw the Kenyans restore their lead, only for a timely goal-line clearance to allow Barea to hit back by launching a swift counterattack that failed to produce the goods.

Eventually, this exhausting duel had to be decided by a penalty shootout.

Omondi offered home hope by saving his second penalty, but his opposite, too, kept out one. At 4-3, with Madagascar having back the advantage, the weight of expectation fell on Omija, who agonisingly saw his penalty (Kenya's fifth and final) fly wide of mark to bring his team's journey to an end.

Madagascar march on in the hopes of bettering their previous performance, where they finished third. In the semi-finals, they will meet the winner of the Sudan v Algeria quarterfinal, which will be played on Saturday (August 23) in Zanzibar City.

How Madagscar reached the semis

Madagascar started their second CHAN campaign with a goalless draw with Mauritania in Group B. It then went down south for Barea as their second game ended in a 2-1 defeat to co-hosts Tanzania. Nantenaina Razafimahatana's 34th-minute goal halved his side's deficit but a comeback was not successful.

Madagascar got their campaign back on track with a 2-0 win over Central African Republic in their third game, the late goals scored by Toky Rakotondraibe and Lalaina Rafanomezantsoa.

And in a must-win final group game, Madagascar reigned supreme over already-eliminated Burkina Faso to beat Mauritania to the second qualification spot. Fenohasina Razafimaro's seventh-minute opener laid the foundation for Rafanomezantsoa to wrap up a 2-1 victory over The Stallions.

In a high-stakes quarterfinal clash with co-hosts Kenya, Madagascar knew they had to be disciplined to make it through. And they did, stretching Harambee Stars to the absolute limit in an absorbing duel.