Pressure mounts on McCarthy as Harambee Stars stumble in Conakry

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I’m sorry but we are .... We can’t compete at Afcon,” tweeted Brian Skippa, a Harambee Stars fan, moments after Kenya’s latest setback in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers.

The blunt verdict captured the growing frustration among Kenyan fans after Stars suffered a 1-0 defeat to Guinea in Conakry on Thursday, leaving coach Benni McCarthy under increasing pressure after two matches without a win.

Serhou Guirassy’s first-half goal was enough to hand Guinea victory at Stade 28 Septembre and leave Kenya with just one point from their opening two Group D matches.

Kenya had hoped to recover from last week’s 1-1 draw against Eritrea but instead returned home empty-handed, despite showing more urgency after the break.

Guinea, who had lost 2-1 to South Africa in their opening match, defended their lead well to claim their first three points of the campaign.

The defeat also extended Kenya’s wait for a victory over Guinea in Conakry, with Thursday’s match coming 18 years after the two sides last met.

Kenya had beaten Guinea 2-0 in the opening leg before losing 3-2 in Conakry during the 2010 World Cup qualifiers.

For McCarthy, however, history offered little comfort as criticism grew online over a second disappointing result since he took charge of Stars.

“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,” posted Jimmy Makhulo.

The reaction reflected the mood of supporters who had expected McCarthy, a former South African international, to quickly bring a new energy to the national team.

Instead, Kenya have managed only one goal in two qualifiers and now face a difficult task in their bid to reach the 2027 continental finals.

Stars were second best for much of the first half against Guinea and paid the price when Guirassy found the net.

They improved after the interval and put the hosts under pressure, but failed to find the goal needed to rescue a point.

The result leaves Kenya third in Group D with one point, while Guinea move to second on three points. South Africa lead the group with six points after a convincing 5-0 victory over Eritrea.

With the qualification race now taking shape, McCarthy faces mounting scrutiny. The South African tactician must find answers quickly as Kenya cannot afford another slow start when the campaign resumes.

Harambee Stars are expected to play Rwanda in an international friendly on Monday.

wonyango@standardmedia.co.ke