Kenya: Benni McCarthy remains without a win in four matches

Benni McCarthy and Kenya travel to Guinea on October 1 for the second matchday

Africa Today at 17:38

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Kenya: Benni McCarthy remains without a win in four matches

Kenya were held to a 1-1 draw by Eritrea on Saturday, September 26, in Nairobi, in their opening match of the 2027 AFCON qualifiers. Benni McCarthy will have to wait a little longer to taste victory again with the Harambee Stars, whose last win came on June 7 against Lesotho.

The Harambee Stars fell behind against Eritrea before drawing level in the final minutes. Ryan Ogam equalised for Kenya late in the match, allowing the national team to earn a point at home.

The match marked Kenya’s return to competitive action after the June international window. The team managed by McCarthy had last won on June 7, recording a comprehensive 4-0 victory over Lesotho at the Lucas Moripe Stadium in Pretoria.

Mohammed Bajaber scored Kenya’s first two goals before Lawrence Okoth completed the victory with a second-half brace.

A disrupted preparation

The match against Eritrea was preceded by a difficult preparation period. The Kenyan players had refused to take part in some training sessions because of unpaid allowances and problems related to their support arrangements.

The squad ultimately held just one collective training session before the match, on the eve of the encounter.

The Kenyan Ministry of Sports, for its part, had announced that it had settled several amounts owed to the players and staff for previous engagements.

McCarthy is still waiting for a win

The victory over Lesotho therefore remains Benni McCarthy’s last with the Harambee Stars. Since that match, Kenya had not played another senior international before beginning its 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign.

The South African coach must now prepare for the trip to Conakry. Kenya will face Guinea on October 1 in its second Group D match.