Benni McCarthy Praises Kenya's Grit in Estonia Loss

McCarthy's kenya set for Grenada showdown

Kenya coach Benni McCarthy praises team's second-half performance against Estonia despite 5-4 penalty loss in FIFA Series opener in Rwanda.

Kenya to face Grenada in FIFA Series third-place playoff after losing to Estonia on penalties. Team prepares for 2027 AFCON hosted by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania...

Kenya's coach Benni McCarthy was impressed with his team's performance, particularly in the second half, despite losing to Estonia 5-4 on penalties in their FIFA Series opener in Rwanda. The Harambee Stars rallied from a goal down to level the scores at 1-1, with McCarthy praising their brilliant display.

Estonia took the lead through Tanel Tammik's header, but Kenya fought back. McCarthy's comments suggest there's hope for the team despite the loss. 

Kenya staged an incredible comeback in the second half, and it paid off. Debutant Zec Obiero's clever pass found Ryan Ogam, who coolly chipped the ball past the goalkeeper to score.

The match went to penalties, and it was a heartbreaker for Kenya. Richard Odada and sub Mohammed Bajaber missed their spots, while Austin Odhiambo, Lawrence Ouma, Erastus Erambo, and Ben Omondi scored for Harambee Stars, but it wasn't enough to secure the win.

Estonia came out on top 5-4 in the shootout. McCarthy's still proud of his team's effort, especially that second-half rally.

McCarthy's Praise: Kenya Dominated Despite Loss

“First half I was a little bit disappointed because we put up a lackluster show, but I think as the game went on, in the second half we started getting the momentum,” said McCarthy.

“In the second half, I just told the boys, you know we have to play with the same desire that I know we can, we just needed to be a little more patient with movement of the ball, and getting into spaces.

 “If you want to receive the ball, you have to get into a position, where you can be able to get the ball.

“I knew the space would open for us in the second half because Estonia would get tired, and yeah, in the second half we were by far the most brilliant team.

“We moved the ball well, and we went into their area without fear, and we scored a goal, the equaliser, and we could have scored twice thereafter.

“You know Lawrence (Ouma), and Ben Stanley should have scored, and also that last-gasp miss which their (Estonia) defender cleared off the line.”

Scenes from our goal against Estonia

Zech ➕ Ogam = 🤌🔥#FIFAseries #HarambeeStars pic.twitter.com/JP0ItSzS8r

— Harambee Stars (@Harambee__Stars) March 27, 2026

Lottery of Losses: Kenya's Shootout Sorrow

Asked about losing on penalties, McCarthy responded: “When you go to penalties, you know it is a lottery. You know it’s a lottery and like I said, we don’t have the best luck with penalties.

“We did the same in CHAN, and now against Estonia. But when you lose on penalties, and looking at the effort the boys put in, the maturity that they showed, the composure, and yeah, to compete against a team that played against Italy, was an amazing performance.”

He added: “Estonia is a team that played against Holland, they played against Norway, they played against very top opposition in Europe. We are only a small African country from East Africa, but we showed today that, you know, we are making progress in the right direction, and that is what I want from my team.

“We need to make progress and when 2027 comes, we will be ready, the team will be ready for that.”

“Second half we showed this is Africa, this is our soil, and as good as they were in the first half, they have been together for many more times than we have been together, but in the second half, my team really dominated.

“So, yeah, I am really excited for what they did against Estonia, but now we have to really learn, and ask my team to do that from the first minute, from the start of the game.

“I am confident we can do that, and then we will be able to cause a lot of teams problems, and we will be able to beat a lot of teams if we start fast, and continue to play the way we did in the second half.”

The South African legend concluded: “When you lose on penalties, woou, it is a shame for the players.”

Kenya will face Grenada in the third-place playoff after Grenada suffered a 4-0 defeat against Rwanda at the same venue.

The 2026 edition of the FIFA Series will feature 48 national teams – representing almost a quarter of FIFA's 211 Member Associations – competing in 12 groups of four teams each.

Kenya are using the Series as part of their preparations for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania will host the 36th edition from June 19th to July 18th.