Kenya’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign started with a 1-1 draw against Eritrea in Nairobi on Saturday, leaving coach Benni McCarthy still waiting for his next win with the Harambee Stars. Ryan Ogam scored a late equaliser for Kenya after Eritrea had taken the lead earlier in the match.
This result means Kenya’s last victory remains the 4-0 win over Lesotho on 7 June. Since then, McCarthy has not added another win to his record with the team. The Harambee Stars have little time to reflect on the draw before their next Group D fixture against Guinea in Conakry on 1 October.
The match was Kenya’s first competitive international outing since June. It came after a challenging preparation period for McCarthy’s squad. The team had been caught up in a dispute over unpaid allowances and other support issues. As a result, some players refused to attend training sessions leading up to the match.
Kenya managed only one collective training session before the game, which took place on the eve of the qualifier. The Kenyan Ministry of Sports later announced it had cleared several outstanding payments owed to players and staff from previous engagements.
The draw against Eritrea reflects the current state of the Harambee Stars, still recovering from internal issues while trying to build momentum in the 2027 AFCON qualifiers. McCarthy’s side will need to improve quickly ahead of their trip to Guinea if they want to stay competitive in Group D.
According to 3News.
