Harambee Stars fall to Guinea, remain winless in AFCON qualifiers

Harambee Stars suffered a 1-0 defeat to Guinea in Conakry on Thursday to remain winless after two matches in Group D in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.

Borussia Dortmund forward Serhou Guirassy scored the game's sole goal, reacting quickest to a loose ball after the Kenyan defence failed to clear their lines cleanly.

The victory at the Stade du 28 Septembre earned Guinea their first points of the qualifying campaign, allowing them to bounce back from a 2-1 defeat against South Africa in their opener last week.

For Kenya, the result marks a second consecutive winless fixture coming just days after a frustrating 1-1 draw against Eritrea on home soil at the Nyayo National Stadium.

Guinea controlled the lion’s share of possession during the opening ten minutes but struggled to translate their dominance into clear-cut chances as the Stars maintained a disciplined defensive setup.

The match subsequently settled into a quieter tempo, with both sides finding space hard to come by. Kenya, in particular, lacked rhythm and struggled to build meaningful forward momentum.

The decisive moment arrived in the 32nd minute when Guirassy pounced on a lapse in the Kenyan defence to turn home the match-winner.

In desperate need of a response to regain momentum, Harambee Stars found it difficult to unlock a resolute, physically imposing Guinean side that comfortably managed the game to secure all three points.

A late push in the dying minutes saw Harambee Stars flood the penalty area with dangerous crosses, but an equalizer remained out of reach as the Kenyans suffered their first defeat of the qualifying cycle.

The setback leaves the Kenyan side with just a single point from two outings, a concerning tally following the home draw against regional rivals Eritrea that had already drawn sharp criticism from local supporters.

The technical bench led by head coach Benni McCarthy now faces mounting pressure to address costly defensive errors and inject much-needed sharpness into an attack that has lacked fluidity.

Kenya will need nothing short of maximum points in their upcoming fixture against South Africa to avoid going winless in the qualifiers, even though their place at the tournament is already guaranteed as co-hosts.