McCarthy Blames Disrupted Preparations for Eritrea Draw
Kenya were forced to settle for a point after falling behind in the second half before striker Ryan Ogam rescued the hosts with an 87th-minute equaliser.
Harambee Stars head coach Benni McCarthy. Photo: SportsBeat.
By Robert Mutasi
Harambee Stars head coach Benni McCarthy has blamed Kenya’s disrupted preparations for the team’s disappointing 1-1 draw against Eritrea in their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at Nyayo National Stadium.
Kenya were forced to settle for a point after falling behind in the second half before striker Ryan Ogam rescued the hosts with an 87th-minute equaliser.
McCarthy said the team did not have enough time to prepare for the Group D encounter, with off-field problems affecting the camp in the days leading to the match.
The South African coach said Kenya had managed only limited training sessions before facing Eritrea, making it difficult to work on tactical details and correct weaknesses ahead of the game.
“We had zero sessions and a performance like that. With two sessions, we will be better and can limit the mistakes we made,” McCarthy said after the match.
The coach had earlier expressed concern over the welfare of his players after they skipped training over unpaid allowances. Reports indicated that players were demanding outstanding payments, with the dispute disrupting preparations for the opening qualifier.
McCarthy said players’ welfare was important to maintaining a focused national team camp and that unresolved issues made it difficult for him to get the best out of his squad.
Despite the difficult build-up, Kenya dominated large portions of the match and created several scoring opportunities.
Ogam came close early in the game when he was played through on goal, but Eritrea goalkeeper Yonathan Abiel denied him. The striker later struggled to convert several opportunities before finally finding the equaliser late in the match.
Eritrea took the lead after Kenya lost possession, allowing Ali Suleiman to create the opening for Nahom Girmai, who finished the move to put the visitors ahead.
Kenya continued to press for an equaliser, with Duke Abuya also missing opportunities before Ogam eventually levelled the contest.
The absence of captain Michael Olunga through injury was another challenge for McCarthy, with the coach missing one of his most experienced attacking options.
Kenya’s preparations had already been clouded by wider concerns, including McCarthy’s unresolved work permit. The coach had publicly criticised Football Kenya Federation for failing to secure the document more than a year after his appointment. FKF said it was following up on the matter.
The draw left Kenya with one point in Group D, alongside Eritrea, while South Africa moved to the top of the standings after beating Guinea 2-1.
Kenya now face another important assignment away to Guinea on October 1, giving McCarthy little time to address the team’s shortcomings before the next qualifier.
Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania will jointly host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, although the three host nations are participating in the qualification campaign.
McCarthy will hope the Stars can put the problems surrounding their camp behind them and produce a stronger performance in Conakry.
About Author
