Kenya's national side, Harambee Stars, claimed a quarter-final spot at the Kasarani Stadium after a narrow victory against Zambia in their final Group A game at the African Nations Championships (CHAN).

Ryan Ogam scored the only goal of the game with 15 minutes to go to ensure Kenya finished top of the group, regarded as the "Group of Death", with giants Morocco, Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo lining up in the pool.

With Morocco beating DR Congo 3-1 in the simultaneous fixture, both Kenya and Morocco progressed to the quarter-finals, leaving the Leopards stranded in third place.

The match was finely balanced until the 75th minute, when substitute Boniface Muchiri found space on the right and delivered a clever ball into the area.

Ogam controlled well before calmly slotting past Charles Kalumba in the Zambian goal to send the 27,000-strong Nairobi crowd into raptures.

The goal was a reward for Kenya’s persistence after dominating possession and creating several openings that were either blocked or denied by Kalumba, who had an outstanding evening despite his side’s defeat.

For Benni McCarthy’s side, the result was about more than qualification. Already assured of a quarter-final place, Kenya entered the tie determined to underline their credentials as serious title contenders.

“When everybody said Group of Death, we would probably have had zero points after four games, but we found ourselves sitting on top of the mountain, and now we really want to enjoy that view on top of that mountain,” McCarthy said before kick-off.

Kenya had already beaten Morocco and DR Congo earlier in the group, results that established them as the surprise package of the tournament.

Against Zambia, they showcased tactical maturity and resilience to secure a third victory in four matches, finishing with 10 points and just one goal conceded in the group stage.

For Zambia, the campaign ended in disappointment. The Chipolopolo, once a feared force in African football, bowed out after four straight defeats. Yet coach Avram Grant insisted there were positives to take from the experience.

With Kenya’s win and Morocco edging DR Congo, the Harambee Stars topped Group A with 10 points, Morocco followed closely with nine, while DR Congo’s six were not enough to progress. Angola finished fourth on four points, and Zambia exited bottom with none.

Kenya will now face Madagascar in the quarterfinals of the tournament.