Kenya beat Zambia 1-0 to top their group and reach the CHAN quarter-finals.
Kenya’s 1-0 victory over Zambia, sealed by Ryan Ogam’s late strike, pushed the Harambee Stars into the quarter-finals of the African Nations Championship (CHAN) as Group A winners. The achievement, however, has been followed by a new chapter of sudden wealth, attention and scrutiny.
At just 19 years old, Mansur Suleman has gone from St. Anthony in Kitale to Rainbow FC and now KCB — and his rise has been meteoric.
“I get a lot of calls, but I stick to my principles. My closest friends and family are the ones I focus on,” Suleman told Citizen TV.
“Fame brings all types of people, fake and real. If a new number calls me, I am unable to answer it. Where were you when I was nobody?”
Suleman, who earned his first national call-up in March under coach Benni McCarthy, credits his teammates for giving him belief at the highest stage.
For Boniface Muchiri, a striker with Ulinzi Stars and a member of the Kenya Defence Forces, playing for Kenya carries double pride.
“It’s a double feeling when I score and meet the President, because I serve my country both as a soldier and a player,” he said.
Muchiri added that the presidential KSh 1 million bonuses per match have completely shifted the players’ mentality.
“In local clubs, bonuses are KSh 10,000. But KSh 1 million in 90 minutes makes you give everything on the pitch.”
Winger Ben Stanley Omondi admitted the Zambia decider was the toughest mentally.
“If we had lost, we would have gone to play in Tanzania. But our goal is to win so the cup stays at home. That would be our biggest happiness.”
The players praised coach Benni McCarthy, describing him as both a leader and a motivator. Training facilities and a passionate fan base have also lifted confidence. Yet for many, the dream extends beyond Kenya’s borders.
“Our biggest ambition is to play abroad and grow our careers,” several players said.
For the Harambee Stars, the windfall is more than money. It is recognition of sacrifice, proof of progress, and inspiration for young Kenyan footballers who now see national duty as rewarding.
