Guinea stay alive in AFCON qualifying as Serhou Guirassy seals Kenya win

Guinea revived their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign with a 1-0 victory over Kenya in Conakry, as captain Serhou Guirassy scored the only goal of the game.

The Syli National had opened Group D with a 2-1 defeat by South Africa, leaving them in urgent need of a result. They delivered three points on Thursday, although the performance was not spectacular.

Guirassy had made his view clear before kick-off, saying: “Victory is imperative.” The forward then backed up those words by scoring on Guinea’s long-awaited return to playing at home.

The match remained finely balanced until the 32nd minute, when Guinea finally found a way through. A scramble inside the Kenya penalty area gave Guirassy the opportunity he needed, and he reacted first to put the hosts ahead.

His goal sent the Stade du 28-Septembre into celebration and secured Guinea’s first three points of the qualifying campaign.

The occasion carried particular significance because it was the Syli National’s first international match in Conakry since June 2022. Guinea’s stadiums had been without international approval for several years, forcing the team to play its home fixtures away from the country.

For head coach Paulo Duarte and his players, the result mattered more than the manner of the performance. Following their opening defeat in South Africa, Guinea could not afford another setback.

South Africa remain top of the group with six points after beating Guinea 2-1 and then defeating Eritrea 5-0. Guinea move to three points, while Kenya and Eritrea have one point each.

However, the qualifying picture remains extremely difficult for Guinea. Kenya will automatically qualify as hosts, meaning only one of South Africa, Guinea and Eritrea will claim the remaining place from Group D.

The Bafana Bafana therefore retain a significant advantage, with three more points than Guinea and a considerably better goal difference.

Guinea are still in contention, but their margin for error is now extremely small.

Their next international window in November will be crucial, with two matches against Eritrea scheduled. Eritrea had begun the campaign by holding Kenya to a 1-1 draw before losing 5-0 to South Africa.

To keep the pressure on the Bafana Bafana, Guinea will need maximum points from both meetings before facing South Africa again in Conakry in March 2027.

The road to qualification remains precarious, but after losing their first match, Guinea’s immediate priority was simply to remain in the contest. Guirassy ensured they did so.

Guinea line-up: Louis Mukoma Fargues