Harambee Stars coach Benni McCarthy will have to conjure up massive improvement from Kenya if they are to stand any chance of overcoming Guinea in their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifier in Conakry tomorrow.
The Group “D” match will be played at the 25,000-capacity Stade 28 Septembre from 4pm local time (7pm Kenyan time).
Eritrea, who held Kenya to a 1-1 draw in Nairobi over the weekend, will host South Africa, 2-1 victors over Guinea, today at the Al Salam Stadium, in the other Group “D” fixture.
Harambee Stars arrived in Conakry on Tuesday evening and will have two days to familiarise themselves with the local conditions before the clash.
Kenya’s disappointing 1-1 draw with Eritrea at a jam-packed Nyayo Stadium on Saturday has lowered expectations ahead of the Guinea meeting. This is exacerbated by the gulf in the two countries’ footballing pedigree.
Guinea are ranked 81st in the world Fifa rankings compared to Kenya’s 109th. The Syli National have qualified for the Afcon finals 14 times, with their best performance being a quarter-final finish. Kenya, meanwhile, have made six appearances at the continental tournament and have never progressed beyond the group stage.
Kenyan striker Ryan Ogam (right) gets past Filmon Gebregziabhier of Eritrea during their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers Group ‘D’ match at Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi on September 26, 2026.
Photo credit: Chris Omollo | Nation Media Group
The South African coach conceded that their poor preparations contributed to the meek performance in Nairobi.
“We had zero sessions and a performance like that; with two sessions. We will be better and can limit the mistakes we made. I definitely hope that, with the mistakes we made that cost us a goal, our finishing in the final third will be better,” said McCarthy.
Kenya players went on strike the entire week leading up to their fixture against Eritrea over unpaid allowances. The players only trained once on Friday morning after part of their allowances were settled by the government.
Ryan Ogam, who scored Kenya’s late equaliser against Eritrea, will need to be sharper in front of goal.
Explicitly given the lead striker role in the absence of injured captain Michael Olunga, the left-footed 21-year-old forward squandered several clear-cut chances against Eritrea, while midfielder Duke Abuya also missed two good opportunities.
McCarthy could, however, turn to Mohamed Bajaber, Sharif Musa and Gor Mahia’s Ben Stanley, who start off the bench in Nairobi. The trio changed the tempo after coming on beyond the hour mark against Eritrea.
Harambee Stars forward Mohamed Bajaber plays against Gambia in a 2026 Fifa World Cup Group ‘F’ qualifying match at Stade Alassane Quattara in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire on March 21, 2025.
Photo credit: Pool
Bajaber, in particular, can use his pace and dribbling ability to draw defenders out of position and create space for Ogam and Real Sociedad forward Job Ochieng.
The partnership between Ochieng and left-back Aboud Omar could again be crucial, but their attacking movements could leave spaces behind them that Guinea may exploit, and McCarthy will have to devise a plan to guard against any counter-attacking.
Defensively, Kenyan players must improve their positioning and communication. The backline of Aboud, Manzur Okwaro, Rooney Onyango and Hanif Wesonga struggled to contain the Eritrean forward line on the few occasions the visitors had possession.
McCarthy may need to reshuffle his defence line, with Vincent Harper, Mike Kibwage and youngster Amos Wanjala available alternatives.
