Benni McCarthy Explains Why Kenya Lost to Gabon on First Home Game in WCQ
- Benni McCarthy has shared his thoughts after suffering his first defeat as Kenyan national team coach against Gabon in the World Cup qualifiers
- The South African mentor led his team to a 2-1 loss against Group F leaders at the Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi
- Former Borussia Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang found the back of the net twice before Michael Olunga scored the only goal for Harambee Stars
South African football legend Benni McCarthy has come out to explain why Kenya's national team lost to Gabon in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
Former Arsenal star Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored a brace as Gabon secured a 2-1 win over the Harambee Stars at the Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi on Sunday afternoon.
Michael Olunga was on the scoresheet for the Harambee Stars once again but couldn't lead them to victory
Source: Twitter
McCarthy explains why Kenya lost to Gabon
According to Afrik-Foot, Benni McCarthy disclosed what really happened in Harambee Star's loss against Gabon.
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The former Manchester United assistant coach claimed the away side were more united that his team, and it's a short period for his to effect change in the team.
Source: Twitter
“The Gabon team was more united than we were,” McCarthy said in his post-match press conference.
“I’ve only been here for a short time, and there’s only so much you can change in that period. You can’t transform things the way you want in just one week with the team. It was a tough challenge, but we are thankful for the support from the Kenyan fans who came out to cheer us on.
“This has been one of the most memorable experiences of my life, even compared to my time playing in Europe. This is what African football should be about—it was beautiful. Unfortunately, we couldn’t give the fans the joy of a win, something to celebrate."
The South African tactician went on to promise Kenyans that his team will improve in subsequent games and he will give them the team they would be proud of.
"But what I can promise is that we will improve, and we’ll get better. They’ll have a team they can be proud of. As I said yesterday, we came into this game wanting to win. But if we couldn’t win, at least we needed to secure a draw.” the former Bafana Bafana striker added during his press conference.
Kenya's next match in the World Cup qualifying series would be a return leg in Nairobi against the Gambia.
PSL coach hails McCarthy for naming ex-Sundowns star in his team
Briefly News also reported that a Premier Soccer League coach showered praises on McCarthy after including a former Mamelodi Sundowns star in his Kenyan squad for the World Cup qualifiers.
The former Orlando Pirates striker was named the new coach of the Harambee Stars and released his first set of players to work with him during the international break.
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Source: Briefly News
