Kenya’s struggles continued in Group D of the AFCON 2027 qualifiers after suffering another setback, with the side losing 1-0 to Guinea in Conakry on Thursday.
Serhou Guirassy scored the only goal of the match in the 32nd minute, handing Guinea their first victory of the campaign.
Kenya, who opened their campaign with a 1-1 draw against Eritrea, remain on one point after two matches.
The defeat leaves the Harambee Stars third in the group, behind Guinea on three points and leaders South Africa on six.
Kenya are already assured of a place at the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations as one of the three co-hosts alongside Uganda and Tanzania. However, their results in the qualifying group remain significant as South Africa, Guinea and Eritrea battle for the group’s remaining qualification place.
Benni McCarthy’s side had chances to take something from the game, with Micah Obiero testing Guinea early on before goalkeeper Mohamed Camara made a crucial save.
McCarthy introduced Ryan Ogam and Timothy Ouma at half-time in an attempt to change the game, with Ogam coming close to restoring parity in the second half.
The Kenyan coach later made further attacking changes, including bringing on Sharif Musa and handing Javan Omondi his debut, but Guinea held on for all three points.
The result means Kenya will need to improve in their remaining qualifiers if they are to finish strongly in a group where South Africa currently set the pace.
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