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Harambee Stars go three games without a win: a 1-0 loss in Conakry and a 0-0 draw in Kigali. South Africa next in November.
Harambee Stars lost 1-0 to Guinea at the Stade du 28 Septembre in Conakry on Thursday 1 October, then drew 0-0 with Rwanda in a friendly at Amahoro Stadium in Kigali on Monday 5 October. Added to the 1-1 draw with Eritrea at Nyayo, that is three matches in nine days without a win.
Conakry
Borussia Dortmund striker Serhou Guirassy scored the only goal in the first half, finishing at the near post after Kenya's central defenders failed to clear in the box. Kenya improved after the break but never found an equaliser. Coach Benni McCarthy said a foul in the build-up had been ignored.
"I think the referee didn't have a good day today because if you watched the match, it was very one-sided and especially for the goal, he was looking at the foul that happened and completely ignored it and allowed the goal to stand," he said. "If there was VAR, in South Africa or Morocco, a high-level match, the goal would have been disallowed."
After two rounds of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, Group D reads South Africa 6 points, Guinea 3, Kenya 1 and Eritrea 1. Kenya has scored once in two games. As a co-host of the 2027 finals with Uganda and Tanzania, Kenya qualifies automatically, so these matches are preparation, but the results have fans questioning the coach.
Kigali
McCarthy made five changes for the friendly and gave younger players a run. Stanley Wilson wasted chances in the 26th and 38th minutes, Manzur Okwaro's shot was punched away in the 41st and Ryan Ogam could not convert the rebound. Farouk Shikalo made a fine save after the break. Captain Aboud Omar was stretchered off in the second half.
On the same day, FKF president Hussein Mohammed denied claims that federation officials influence team selection. "I have never called any of these guys in the technical bench and ordered them to play a certain player. I never interfere with the technical bench and that is because I believe you are here on merit," he said.
What next
No Harambee Stars match until the November window, when Kenya plays South Africa away and then at home. CAF has yet to confirm the exact dates and venues.
This week's national-team football is the women's. Harambee Starlets play Seychelles at Nyayo in an Olympic qualifier on Thursday 8 October and Monday 12 October, both at 3pm.
Sources: Citizen Digital (Guinea match), Pulse Sports (McCarthy quotes, group table), Pulse Sports (Rwanda match), Pulse Sports (FKF president), The Kenya Times (November fixtures). KNN's preview of the Guinea match.
That was a Kibra News Network report, read by an A I voice.
Harambee Stars lost 1-0 to Guinea at the Stade du 28 Septembre in Conakry on Thursday 1 October, then drew 0-0 with Rwanda in a friendly at Amahoro Stadium in Kigali on Monday 5 October. Added to the 1-1 draw with Eritrea at Nyayo, that is three matches in nine days without a win.
Conakry
Borussia Dortmund striker Serhou Guirassy scored the only goal in the first half, finishing at the near post after Kenya’s central defenders failed to clear in the box. Kenya improved after the break but never found an equaliser. Coach Benni McCarthy said a foul in the build-up had been ignored.
“I think the referee didn’t have a good day today because if you watched the match, it was very one-sided and especially for the goal, he was looking at the foul that happened and completely ignored it and allowed the goal to stand,” he said. “If there was VAR, in South Africa or Morocco, a high-level match, the goal would have been disallowed.”
After two rounds of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, Group D reads South Africa 6 points, Guinea 3, Kenya 1 and Eritrea 1. Kenya has scored once in two games. As a co-host of the 2027 finals with Uganda and Tanzania, Kenya qualifies automatically, so these matches are preparation, but the results have fans questioning the coach.
Kigali
McCarthy made five changes for the friendly and gave younger players a run. Stanley Wilson wasted chances in the 26th and 38th minutes, Manzur Okwaro’s shot was punched away in the 41st and Ryan Ogam could not convert the rebound. Farouk Shikalo made a fine save after the break. Captain Aboud Omar was stretchered off in the second half.
On the same day, FKF president Hussein Mohammed denied claims that federation officials influence team selection. “I have never called any of these guys in the technical bench and ordered them to play a certain player. I never interfere with the technical bench and that is because I believe you are here on merit,” he said.
What next
No Harambee Stars match until the November window, when Kenya plays South Africa away and then at home. CAF has yet to confirm the exact dates and venues.
This week’s national-team football is the women’s. Harambee Starlets play Seychelles at Nyayo in an Olympic qualifier on Thursday 8 October and Monday 12 October, both at 3pm.
KNN Newsroom is the staff byline for stories written, rewritten and edited at the Kibra News Network desk. Where a story credits an outside outlet, the original source is linked at the foot of the piece.
