Kenya head coach Benni McCarthy revealed how he took a page out of his former manager Jose Mourinho's playbook during his side's latest victory at the CAF African Nations Championships (CHAN).
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McCarthy delivered a tactical masterclass as he led The Harambee Stars to a hard-fought 1-0 victory against Morocco to maintain their unbeaten record and move one step closer to securing a spot in the quarter-finals.
Kenya were reduced to 10 men when midfielder Chrispine Erambo was sent off after the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) intervened to turn his yellow card into a red.
However, they held on to claim a historic victory, and the ex-AmaZulu manager revealed after the game that he found inspiration from his former boss at FC Porto, Jose Mourinho, to mastermind the win, CAF Online reported.
"I played under a certain manager, José Mourinho - the master of such game management,” McCarthy said in his post-match press conference.
"To play with 10 players is hell, but we used to do it as if it were routine. I learned the trade from him: where to tighten, who to sacrifice," he added.
McCarthy also explained the difficulties of playing with 10 men.
"It’s not always neat for the fans, but you cling on to your lead at any cost,” he explained.
"Defenders may be required to do midfielders’ or strikers’ work. That’s what I learned from José — when you lose a player, you send off a striker, keep one workhorse up front, and the others ‘park the bus’… or in our case, park a train and a bus in front," he added.
It was the second game of the competition that Kenya were reduced to 10 men, and McCarthy said he would have preferred to have finished the game with 11 men.
Believe me, I’d have been happy to finish with 11 men,” McCarthy admitted.
“Unfortunately, it’s two games on the bounce. Today was even more unlucky — the player went to clear the ball, completely missed it, and struck the Moroccan player on the shin. It was an accident.”
The former Cape Town City boss also acknowledged that he was prioritising results over performances with his style of play.
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"Our primary goal is to bring success to the country, not to please every individual,” he said.
“If you are in the lead, you protect at all costs," he said.
