Benni McCarthy calls for greater composure from Kenya after Eritrea draw

Kenya coach Benni McCarthy has called for greater composure in front of goal after the Harambee Stars began their AFCON qualifying campaign with a 1-1 draw against Eritrea in Nairobi on Saturday.

Kenya were expected to win the match but produced an inconsistent performance, according to McCarthy, despite avoiding defeat in their opening fixture.

The result came amid a dispute over payments, with players downing tools. McCarthy said the lack of preparation had affected the team’s ability to refine their approach.

“There was a lack of proper preparation. We didn’t have one training session, so yes, when you have these kind of disputes within the camp it makes it difficult to work on certain things and fine tune our game plan,” he said.

“Despite all of this on the go the players still looked sharp so they deserve the credit.”

McCarthy acknowledged that his players nevertheless showed the right attitude when they arrived for the match, given the difficult circumstances surrounding the squad.

Kenya have already secured their place at next year’s AFCON as co-hosts alongside Tanzania and Uganda. They are using the qualifying matches as preparation for the tournament, with South Africa and Guinea still to face.

The Kenya coach is also introducing younger players during the qualifiers, with the team’s place at the continental showpiece already guaranteed.