Statement: Benny McCarthy talks about how Referee dealt with his team in the last match!

After the loss of Harambee Stars in the last match that Gabon collected last Sunday in the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, the South African coach of Kenya broke his silence about the referee of the match and some of his decisions, and this loss was the first loss of the Kenyan national team with the new coach in his second match.

The South Africans stressed that indeed their opponent Gabon was a strong team worthy of praise, despite the loss received from them.

As a coach, you can never be proud enough of your team when they put up a performance like that against an experienced Gabon team, I thought you know; we started really well. We took the game to them; we pressed them high and in the right areas. And then when you create the chances that we did, and you don’t score the goals, you always going to suffer the consequences, because as well as we were playing up until that moment you allow yourself vulnerable at the back end with the experienced players that they have in Aubameyang and that, he doesn’t need a lot of chances.

Benny said.

That’s why he’s played at the big teams over the years. So yeah, and then they get one chance. We make one mistake, they get one chance, and then they score, and then automatically, you go on the back foot, So now you’re starting to make a little bit more mistakes, because you’re trying to press the game to get the equaliser. And I thought up until half-time, yes, they were 1-0 in front, I thought we deserved more than to 1-0 down at half-time.

Benny added.

And then second half, when you come out, and then the referee gives an incident like that, because how, as a player, how are you meant to defend? If you turn your body and the ball hits you there your arm, it’s like there’s nothing the player could do. And then they get a soft penalty.

Benny concluded.