Kenya took the lead in the 18th minute when debutant striker Emmanuel Osoro found the back of the net before David Sakwa made it 2-0 in the 45th minute.
Chad pulled a goal back when Ali Mahamat Adam scored in the 60th minute, but it was not enough to deny McCarthy his first win as Harambee Stars coach in four matches.
Seeking his first win in charge of the team, the former Bafana Bafana striker made nine changes to the starting XI that had played out to a 0-0 draw against the same opposition on Saturday with Bandari FC goalkeeper Farouk Shikalo coming in to replace Brian Bwire, while Siraj Mohammed, Sylvester Owino, Swaleh Pamba, and Lewis Bandi formed the backline tasked to keep Chad strikers at bay.
In midfield, the technical duo of Alpha Onyango and Austin Odhiambo were handed a starting role, with the support from William Lenkupae, who was retained from the previous starting XI, alongside the versatile Ben Omondi.
Up front, Sakwa and Osoro completed the attacking line.
Unmarked Osoro scored Kenya’s opener
Just like the first meeting between the two sides, Kenya started the brighter and with only five minutes played, they failed to take the lead when Lenkupae set up Osoro, the FC Talanta forward, who was not able to hit the target with the goal at his mercy.
Harambee Stars continued to press for the opener and in the ninth minute, Osoro combined well with Lenkupae before releasing Sakwa, but the latter took time to hit the target with Chad goalkeeper Jourdain Mbaynassem coming out of his line to clear the danger.
However, Kenya’s persistent pressure paid off in the 12th minute when Osoro scored his debut goal for the national team. Omondi spotted Osoro unmarked inside Chad’s danger zone, and he delivered a superb pass, which the latter controlled before slotting it past the stranded Mbaynassem.
Chad responded with their first attack of the game when Haroun Tchaouna dribbled past Owino before setting up Ezechiel N'Douassel, who plays a striker for Liga 2 club Persela Lamongan, but his superb volley was saved by Shikhalo, his first save of the game.
Five minutes later, Shikhalo was forced to make two great saves to keep the score at 1-0 in favour of Kenya.
From a corner kick delivered by Ali Mahamat Adam, the unmarked N'Douassel powered home a thunderous header, which Shikhalo stretched to punch back to play before he reacted quickly to save the rebound from Wiliam Damba.
Harambee Stars should have doubled their lead in the 36th minute when William Wilson, who plays as a central midfielder for Central Coast Mariners in Australia, weaved his way past Chad defenders and found himself in a one-on-one situation with keeper Mbaynassem.
However, instead of looping the ball over Mbaynassem, Wilson opted to sneak it between his legs, but the keeper did well to push it out for a fruitless corner.
But it did not take long for Kenya to double their lead with Osoro turning the provider. A move initiated by Austin Odhiambo found Osoro in the left wing, he raced to the corner before delivering a low pass which the advancing Sakwa struck with a one-time right-footed effort past Mbaynassem.
That was the last meaningful chance of the half as the half-time whistle blew with Harambee Stars enjoying a 2-0 cushion.
Chad reduce deficit after Kenya’s defensive mistake
Chad came back from the break with a double change, Damba and Haroun Tchaouna coming out for Youssouf Abdraman and Madoua Tchiva. Meanwhile, Kenya coach McCarthy also made a double change, bringing in Beja Nyamawi for goalscorer Sakwa and Brian Musa Katibi for Alpha Onyango.
Chad looked the better side as they pinned Kenya at their own half in the early exchanges. They had a free-kick from the right wing, which Tchiva delivered, but Shikhalo came out to clear the danger.
Chad reduced the deficit in the 60th minute after a defensive mistake by the East African nation allowed Ali Mahamat Adam to sneak in from behind and glance his header past Shikhalo after a looping pass from Ahmat Youssouf.
Despite Chad’s relentless attacks to find the leveller, Harambee Stars remained tight at the back with Shikhalo making two more saves in the closing stages to give his side the deserved win under McCarthy's reign.
This was Harambee Stars' first win in six matches in all competitions. The last time Kenya won a game was in January 7th, 2025, when they secured a 2-0 friendly win against neighbours Tanzania at Gombani Stadium.
During the build-up, Kenya needed two second-half goals courtesy of Boniface Muchiri and Ryam Ogam to carry the day. Kenya’s next assignment was another friendly where they drew 1-1 against Burkina Faso at Gombani Stadium.
Kenya then shifted focus to the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, where they drew 3-3 against Gambia in their matchday five Group F fixture before losing 2-1 at home against Gabon. They then faced Chad in a game that ended in a 0-0 draw on Saturday, June 7th.
Check out the game summary from the win with Flashscore.
