Harambee Stars earned a 1-1 draw against Eritrea in their opening Afcon qualifier at Nyayo Stadium.
Kenya drew 1-1 with Eritrea at Nyayo Stadium as coach Benni McCarthy linked missed chances and costly errors to a build-up disrupted by player welfare concerns.
Ryan Ogam scored three minutes from full time to earn Harambee Stars a 1-1 draw against Eritrea on Saturday, salvaging a point from an opening 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier overshadowed by disrupted preparations.
Kenya trailed to Nahom Girmai’s first-half strike at Nyayo Stadium before Ogam’s late intervention prevented defeat in the Group D encounter. The hosts created opportunities to win but struggled to convert them, leaving coach Benni McCarthy to reflect on the impact of lost training time.
The result puts the focus on Thursday’s trip to Conakry, where Kenya will face a Guinea side also seeking a better outcome after losing their opening match.
Welfare dispute cuts into training
Kenya’s build-up to the Eritrea fixture was disrupted when players declined to train over unpaid allowances and other welfare concerns. The standoff with officials cost the squad valuable time together before the start of their qualifying campaign.
The Ministry of Sports said some outstanding payments were subsequently cleared. However, the team only resumed collective training on Friday, leaving little time to prepare for Saturday’s match.
McCarthy praised his players for remaining competitive despite those circumstances. He said they had lacked the training and fitness work he wanted before the fixture, but had still shown sharpness and commitment on the pitch.
Rather than criticise the squad’s effort, the coach pointed to the conditions under which they had approached the game. In his assessment, their determination helped compensate for a preparation period that fell well short of what was needed.
Late equaliser follows missed opportunities
Eritrea took the lead after Manzur Okwaro surrendered possession, allowing Girmai to score before the interval. That mistake left Kenya chasing the match despite creating chances of their own.
The hosts pressed forward in the second half, but their finishing continued to hold them back. Ogam was among those unable to take earlier opportunities before eventually finding the equaliser with three minutes remaining.
McCarthy linked Kenya’s lack of precision to the interrupted training schedule. He felt Ogam would ordinarily have converted the chances that came his way if the team had benefited from a normal week of preparation.
The coach also identified organisation as an area affected by the disruption. He argued that even a couple of proper sessions could have helped the players reduce mistakes and perform with greater structure.
Guinea test comes next
Kenya now have to turn their attention to Guinea, with the next Group D fixture scheduled for Thursday in Conakry. Guinea opened their campaign with a 2-1 defeat by South Africa in Johannesburg on Saturday.
Both teams will therefore approach the encounter looking to improve on their first results. For Harambee Stars, the immediate task is to build on the resilience shown against Eritrea while addressing the finishing and organisational problems identified by McCarthy.
Ogam’s late goal ensured Kenya took something from a difficult opening assignment. The challenge before the Guinea match is to keep off-field disputes from further limiting the work needed on the training ground.
