NAIROBI, Kenya, October 2, 2026 – Harambee Stars head coach Benni McCarthy believes the referee was biased against them in last night’s 1-0 loss to Guinea in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers in Conakry.

The South African believes Serhou Guirassy’s opener in the 32nd minute should not have stood, following a foul in the build-up.

“I think if you watch the game, I don’t think the referee had one of his best matches today because it was very one-sided and especially for the goal. He was looking at the foul that happened, but he just completely ignored it and he allowed the goal to stand. If there is VAR or any other in South Africa and Morocco, in Egypt, the goal is disallowed. The referee was incompetent and he was very arrogant,” McCarthy pointed out.

Turning to his charges, the gaffer admitted they lacked the calm heads to convert their chances into goals.

He further conceded that the bluntness in front of goal left him frustrated at times.

Harambee Stars winger Ben Stanley Omondi in action against Guinea as head coach Benni McCarthy (behind) watches on. PHOTO/FOOTBALL KENYA FEDERATION

“Of course the frustrations build up a little bit, especially when your team, they have a good moment and they get into the final third and then it’s just lapse of concentration. They didn’t make the good pass for the team to score a goal or to equalise because we were 1-0 down. We were chasing the game and I just needed somebody to be more calm to give us that opportunity that we need to score a goal,” the former Porto striker said.

Harambee Stars pose for a photo before the start of their match against Guinea. PHOTO/FOOTBALL KENYA FEDERATION

All said and done, McCarthy insisted that his lads’ performance silenced the naysayers who had predicted a battering in the Guinean capital.

“If we had some experience like Guinea had, I think it would have been maybe a different situation because we created some nervy moments for them, but unfortunately in the final third, we lacked a bit experience. People expected us to lose by three or four or five, but I think Guinea today was very fortunate that we didn’t make use of the opportunities that we created,” he said.

The 2027 Afcon co-hosts will be back in action in a double header against South Africa in November.