Harambee Stars tactician Benni McCarthy is upbeat ahead of today’s historic quarterfinal tie against Madagascar at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani. The encounter kicks off at 5 PM EAT.

During the pre-match press conference, McCarthy said Kenya’s group stage journey had toughened up the team to face the knockout stages.

Kenya advanced from a challenging pool that included DR Congo, Angola, Morocco, and Zambia to to reach the quarterfinal.

“After the test we faced at the group stage, I think there is no team that we are afraid of anymore. Our chances were slim, but we proved ourselves capable of surpassing those hurdles. Whoever comes next will be a good challenge, but our focus is on ourselves and advancing to the next stage,” said McCarthy.

The South African coach stressed that his preparations extend beyond tactics, focusing on mental resilience.

“I work on building match temperament within my players. Expectations are high, but we did our analysis on potential opponents. Madagascar will be another obstacle, and no matter what we achieved before, it is forgotten. We must prepare the best we can,” he said.

McCarthy confirmed Harambee Stars have no major injury concerns ahead of the showdown. The only absentee is Chrispine Erambo, who remains suspended after his red card in the 1-0 win over Morocco.

Striker Edward Ondimo, who had been sidelined with a blister injury, has returned to full training and is available for selection.

In praising goalkeeper Byrne Omondi for his man-of-the-match performance, McCarthy challenged his players to sharpen their attacking skills.

“We are not scoring enough goals upfront. That means we must work harder and be ready to rake up the challenge. Scoring more is what will take us where we want to be, so they better be well prepared,” he said.

A win against Madagascar will send Kenya to the semifinals, where they will face Algeria or Sudan. The two teams meet on Saturday, August 23, in Zanzibar.