Harambee Stars head coach Benni McCarthy has defended midfielder Mansur Okwaro after his error contributed to Kenya’s 1-1 draw with Eritrea in their opening 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at Nyayo National Stadium.
Okwaro lost possession near the edge of Kenya’s penalty area after receiving the ball from goalkeeper Byrne Omondi. Eritrea quickly punished the mistake, with Nahom Girmai finishing into the bottom-left corner to give the visitors the lead.
Although Kenya dominated much of the match, the home side struggled to convert its chances. Ryan Ogam eventually rescued a point with a late equaliser, cancelling out Eritrea’s first-half advantage. The result left both teams with one point in Group D.
McCarthy, however, refused to single out Okwaro for blame. The South African coach explained that the midfielder’s mistake was unusual and partly understandable given Kenya’s limited preparation before the match.
“He is very comfortable and has the stature. We had only one training session, so naturally we were a little slower. Apart from that, he was fantastic,” McCarthy said.
The coach added that Okwaro had attempted to play out of danger in a situation where he would normally have made a safer decision. Despite the error, McCarthy praised his overall display and confirmed that he still trusted the midfielder.
“That was the only mistake we made throughout the match,” he said. “He will play in the same position next time because I have confidence in him and in every player in the team.”
Kenya’s preparations were disrupted by a players’ protest over unpaid allowances, an issue McCarthy acknowledged had affected the team’s performance. The Stars have since travelled to Conakry for their next qualifier against Guinea on Thursday, October 1. Guinea also lost its opening match, suffering a 2-1 defeat to South Africa.
