Kenya left Conakry without a point on Thursday, losing 1-0 to Guinea in a 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier. The defeat left the Harambee Stars with one point from their first two Group D matches and drew fresh scrutiny to coach Benni McCarthy. Serhou Guirassy scored Guinea’s first-half goal at Stade 28 Septembre. Kenya improved after the break, but couldn’t find an equaliser.
Group D standings tighten the task
Kenya sits third in Group D with one point. Guinea has three points in second place after earning its first win of the campaign, while South Africa leads on six after beating Eritrea 5-0. Kenya has scored one goal in two qualifiers.
The result followed Kenya’s 1-1 draw against Eritrea the previous week. The Harambee Stars hoped to recover in Conakry, but Guinea held on after taking the lead in the first half. Kenya played better after the break. The score stayed the same.
Guinea began its campaign with a 2-1 defeat to South Africa. Its win over Kenya gave the side its first three points in the group. South Africa’s victory over Eritrea, meanwhile, kept it top of the standings with six points.
Kenya now faces a difficult task in its bid to reach the 2027 continental finals. The team has one point and one goal from its opening two matches, while South Africa already has six. The campaign resumes after the upcoming international friendly against Rwanda, which the Harambee Stars are expected to play on Monday.
Coach faces criticism from supporters
The loss intensified online criticism of McCarthy after a second disappointing result since he took charge of the Stars. Brian Skippa, a Harambee Stars fan, tweeted: “I’m sorry but we are .... We can’t compete at Afcon,” following the defeat.
Jimmy Makhulo criticised both the coach and the Football Kenya Federation. “Dear FKF, end Benni’s holiday in Kenya NOW. He has toured enough and he needs to go back to SA, and you need to get a proper coach. This experiment has failed,” he posted.
McCarthy is a former South African international and the South African tactician. The article says Kenya can’t afford another slow start when its qualifying campaign resumes. His position is under mounting scrutiny as the team prepares for the next stages of the campaign.
Past meetings and the next fixture
The defeat extended Kenya’s wait for a win over Guinea in Conakry. During the 2010 World Cup qualifiers, Kenya won the opening leg 2-0, then lost 3-2 in Conakry. The latest meeting again ended in defeat for Kenya on Guinea’s home ground.
The Harambee Stars are expected to face Rwanda in an international friendly on Monday. Their next qualifier will come when the campaign resumes, and Kenya needs to improve on its opening results and add to its goal total. The match against Guinea ended 1-0, despite Kenya’s stronger effort after the interval.