‘Underestimate them at you own peril,’ warns McCarthy of Eritrea
Eritrea may be viewed as the underdogs in Group D of the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, but Kenya coach Benni McCarthy believes South Africa and Guinea should take notice.
McCarthy’s Harambee Stars were pushed all the way by Eritrea last weekend, having to come from behind to secure a 1-1 draw.
Bafana Bafana and Guinea complete the group, while Kenya are already guaranteed a place at next year’s Afcon as co-hosts. Only one team from the group will join them at the tournament.
McCarthy was surprised by Eritrea’s quality and believes they could cause problems for the bigger teams.
“I thought they were very good today, very surprising. A lot of people underestimate them,” said McCarthy.
He believes Kenya were prepared for the threat. “We were not surprised today because we knew that they have some qualities in their squad that if we’re not careful, they would hurt us.”
The former Bafana striker was particularly impressed by Eritrea’s striker.
“They showed every single time that when they’re getting forward, they had a striker who runs all day. He gave us a lot of trouble.”
McCarthy then issued a direct warning to Bafana and Guinea.
“I think the other two, the so-called big teams in the group, have to watch out.”
“I think Eritrea and us will give both South Africa and Guinea a lot of trouble based on what we saw today.”
With Bafana already beating Guinea 2-1, Eritrea’s performance against Kenya serves as a warning that South Africa cannot afford to underestimate their next opponents.
Bafana play Eritrea at Al Stadium, Cairo on Wednesday at 6pm. A win will solidify Pitso Mosimane’s team’s standing in the group.
