Kenya has regressed under Benni McCarthy – Former Harambee Stars star Reginald Asibwa

Former Kenya international Reginald Asibwa has raised concerns about the Harambee Stars’ poor start to their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign under head coach Benni McCarthy.

Kenya began their Group D campaign with a 1-1 draw against Eritrea in Nairobi before suffering a 1-0 defeat by Guinea in their second match on Thursday.

Although Kenya have already secured their place at the 2027 AFCON as one of the three co-hosts, Asibwa believes the team’s recent performances are a cause for concern ahead of the tournament.

“Our current FIFA ranking of 113th tells the whole story of our regression, particularly after dropping points at home against a team like Eritrea,” Asibwa told Flashscore.

He questioned why such results were being accepted as normal when Kenya are preparing to host some of Africa’s leading players next year.

“I am astonished that these kinds of results are treated as normal when we are gearing up to host Africa’s top elite stars rather than just home-based players in the CHAN tournament,” he said.

Asibwa also criticised what he described as a lack of action from the country’s football authorities.

“The authorities remain silent while our national team plunges into an abyss,” he added.

“Just like in any institution, output must be scrutinised. If we stay quiet now, it will soon be too late to rescue the situation.”

The Harambee Stars will return to action next month when they face McCarthy’s native South Africa in a double-header.

Kenya will co-host the 2027 AFCON alongside Uganda and Tanzania next year.