McCarthy backs Harambee Stars despite disrupted preparations in Eritrea draw
By Joel Masibo, September 27, 2026Harambee Stars head coach Benni McCarthy has defended his players following Kenya’s 1-1 draw with Eritrea, saying the team’s troubled preparations had an impact on their performance.
Kenya salvaged a point in their opening 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at Nyayo National Stadium on Saturday, September 26, 2026, after Ryan Ogam scored late in the match.
The national team entered the fixture having endured a difficult week after players declined to train over unpaid allowances and other welfare concerns. Although some of the outstanding payments were settled according to the Ministry of Sports, the dispute disrupted the team’s preparations.
Kenya only returned to collective training on Friday, September 25, 2026, just a day before facing Eritrea.
McCarthy impressed
McCarthy, however, was impressed by the players’ response despite the lack of adequate preparation.
“I have to give the players massive credit. They did not have proper training and fitness that we needed, but they looked sharp. I don’t have a single complaint. I cannot point a finger and say the team lacked this or that,” McCarthy said after the match.
The South African coach admitted that the limited training time was noticeable, particularly when Kenya reached the final third.
Harambee Stars created several opportunities but struggled to make them count, allowing Eritrea to take advantage of a defensive lapse.
Manzur Okwaro’s mistake presented Nahom Girmai with an opportunity to put the visitors ahead, with Eritrea taking a 1-0 lead into the interval despite Kenya enjoying opportunities to score.
Ogam eventually rescued Kenya when he found the equaliser five minutes before full time.
Ogam’s chances
McCarthy believes the forward could have converted some of his earlier opportunities had the team enjoyed a normal preparation period.
“They had desire, heart. Lack of preparation showed out there today. We were not as clinical as we wanted to be. Ryan had a couple of chances. In normal circumstances he puts them away,” McCarthy said.
Despite the disappointing result, McCarthy praised the players for their effort and suggested that better preparation could significantly improve the team’s performance in their next assignment.
The coach pointed to the absence of regular training sessions as one of the main factors behind some of the mistakes Kenya made against Eritrea.
“They should not feel outdone by it because I think they gave everything today and we were by far the better team. If we can just sort out the last problems that we had, we had zero sessions and we performed like this. If we could have two sessions, we would be better organised and limit the mistakes that we had,” McCarthy said.
Harambee Stars will next travel to Conakry to take on Guinea on Thursday, October 1, 2026, in their second Group D outing of the 2027 AFCON qualifiers.