Mariga hails Harambee Stars’ win, urges players to seize moment
Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Vice President McDonald Mariga has praised Harambee Stars for their 1-0 victory over DR Congo in their CHAN 2024 opener, describing the performance as a solid foundation for the rest of the tournament.
Speaking after the match on Sunday, August 3, 2025, Mariga acknowledged that tournament openers are often difficult but expressed confidence that the team will improve as the competition progresses.
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“It was a fitting game. The first match is always tough, but I think if we continue like this, we’ll keep improving,” he said.
When asked who stood out in the match, the former Harambee Stars midfielder singled out goal scorer Austin Odhiambo for his impact, but noted that the entire team had performed well.
“The best player, of course, is the one who carried us and scored the goal. I think everyone played well, but Austin, because he carried us and got the goal, I think Austin is the best,” he stated.
Challenges faced
The FKF Vice President also pointed out challenges with the match venue, noting that the pitch conditions were different from what the team had trained on, which may have affected their rhythm.
“The thing we could improve on is that we weren’t given a chance to use this pitch before the game. This pitch is different from the ones we train on. The grass is different—heavier—and it really strains the players, but they’ve managed well,” Mariga explained.
Opportunities ahead
Reflecting on his own playing career, the former Inter Milan midfielder admitted he would have loved to be part of the current squad, especially given the opportunities the tournament presents.
“I would really wish to be part of this team because this is a chance that comes once. We are hosting CHAN, which is a big, big tournament, and we need to market ourselves out here. We have a lot of agents out here,” he stated.
He urged the players to give their maximum effort, emphasising the tournament’s importance as a career-defining moment for Kenyan players.
“Our players need to give their best because this is their future, this is their time to emerge and become professional players,” he added.
