The Lower Eastern Times Opening The Third Eye
Harambee Stars suffered a 1-0 defeat to Guinea in Conakry on Thursday, leaving them winless after two matches in Group D of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying campaign.
Borussia Dortmund striker Serhou Guirassy scored the match’s only goal, pouncing quickest on a loose ball after Kenya’s defence failed to clear it properly. The win at Stade du 28 Septembre gave Guinea their first points of the qualifiers, helping them recover from a 2-1 opening-match defeat to South Africa the previous week.
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For Kenya, the loss marks their second consecutive winless result, coming just days after a disappointing 1-1 draw against Eritrea on home turf at the Nyayo National Stadium.
Guinea dominated possession in the opening ten minutes of the match but struggled to convert their control into clear-cut scoring chances, as the Stars held firm defensively. The game then settled into a slower rhythm, with both sides finding it difficult to create space. Kenya, in particular, struggled to find any forward momentum or attacking fluency.
The turning point came in the 32nd minute, when Guirassy capitalized on a defensive lapse from Kenya to score the match-winner.
Despite needing a response to regain control of the game, Harambee Stars found it difficult to break down a physically strong and well-organized Guinean side that comfortably managed the remainder of the match to secure full points. A late surge saw Kenya push numbers forward and whip in dangerous crosses in search of an equalizer, but the breakthrough never came, handing them their first defeat of the qualifying campaign.
The result leaves Kenya with just one point from two matches — a worrying tally that follows their home draw against regional rivals Eritrea, a result that had already drawn criticism from local fans.
Head coach Benni McCarthy and his technical bench are now under growing pressure to fix costly defensive mistakes and sharpen an attack that has so far lacked cohesion.
Although Kenya’s place at the tournament is already secured as co-hosts, the team will need nothing less than a maximum points finish in their upcoming match against South Africa to avoid finishing the qualifiers without a single win.
