Benni McCarthy Takes Aim at Referee After Harambee Stars Suffer Narrow Defeat to Guinea

Kenya national football team head coach Benni McCarthy expressed deep disappointment with match officials following Harambee Stars' 1-0 defeat to Guinea in their matchday two fixture of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers at the Stade du 28 Septembre in Conakry.

Despite entering the fixture as underdogs on West African soil, Kenya delivered a resilient tactical performance against a star-studded Guinean side.

However, Borussia Dortmund striker Serhou Guirassy's 32nd-minute strike proved to be the decisive goal of the encounter, leaving Harambee Stars with one point from their opening two group matches.

Addressing the media after the final whistle, McCarthy lauded his squad's determination and work ethic against a team boasting extensive top-tier European experience.

Many pundits had predicted a comfortable victory for the hosts, but Kenya created several scoring opportunities that unsettled the Guinean defence throughout the match.

Benni McCarthy pointed out that while his young squad matched Guinea in general play, a lack of composure in advanced positions ultimately prevented Harambee Stars from securing a positive result away from home.

"If we had some of the experience that Guinea had, I think maybe it would have been a different situation because we created some nerve-wracking moments for them, but unfortunately, in the final third, we lacked a bit of experience,” Benni McCarthy said.

“But I’m very happy for the players for the fight. People expected us to lose by three, four or five, but Guinea were very fortunate that we didn’t make use of the opportunities that we created."

The central talking point of the encounter revolved around the referee's handling of Guinea's winning goal in the 32nd minute.

Benni McCarthy strongly disputed the legitimacy of the strike, asserting that the referee overlooked a clear foul in the buildup immediately before the ball was forced past the Kenyan goalkeeper.

Highlighting the absence of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology in the qualifying fixture, the South African football legend argued that high-level continental competitions require video review to eliminate clear officiating errors.

"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. If there was VAR, in South Africa or Morocco, a high-level match, the goal would have been disallowed," he added.

Throughout the second half, Kenya pushed aggressively for an equaliser, introducing fresh attacking options to pin Guinea back inside their own penalty area.

However, promising build-up play repeatedly broke down due to misplaced final passes and rushed decision-making near the penalty box.

The Harambee Stars coach admitted that his visible frustration on the touchline stemmed from watching his players create advantageous situations without finding the calm head required to deliver a decisive final ball.

"He was very arrogant, and of course, frustrations build up a little bit, especially if your team has a very good moment and then, when they get into the final third, lack concentration, lose focus, and they don’t make a good pass for the team to score. We were chasing the game, and I just needed somebody to be calmer and give us an opportunity to score that goal; my frustrations built up on the touchline," he added.

Following the result in Conakry, Guinea moved to three points in Group D, while South Africa remains atop the standings with six points. Kenya sits on one point alongside Eritrea.