Benni McCarthy defends Kenya players after losing to Estonia

Benni McCarthy has leapt to the defence of his Kenya national football team players following their penalty shoot-out defeat to Estonia national football team, a side ranked 168th in the world.

The Harambee Stars missed out on a place in the final of the FIFA Series after a 1-1 draw in regulation time on Friday night. Estonia held their nerve in the shoot-out, edging the contest 5-4 to progress.

Despite the setback, McCarthy insisted the performance reflected a team heading in the right direction.

“Estonia is a team that has played against Italy and faced Erling Haaland with Norway, while we are a small African country,” he said, as quoted by Pan Africa Football.

“We are making progress in the right direction, and that is all I want for my team as we prepare for the 2027 AFCON.”

The former striker praised his side’s resilience, particularly after a shaky start to the match.

“To lose on penalties shows the effort, maturity and composure the boys displayed to compete,” he noted. “I learnt that the team has good character and personality. We were nervous in the first half, but in the second half we showed ourselves, dominated, and played with confidence. We just need to start games that way.”

McCarthy revealed he challenged his players at the break to improve their movement, a message he believes paid off after the restart.

“I told them at half-time we needed more movement on the ball. We knew they would tire, and spaces would open up. In the second half, we were by far the better team, moved the ball well and got the equaliser,” he explained.

The Kenyan side also created chances to win the match outright, with McCarthy pointing to missed opportunities late on.

“We could have won it twice, including through Lawrence, and there was a goal-line clearance,” he added. “But penalties are a lottery. We cannot base our fortunes on shoot-outs, as we’ve seen even in African Nations Championship.”