Benni McCarthy’s arrival had greatly excited Kenyan football fans. The South African coach replaced Turkish manager Engin Fırat, and his first match was a thrilling goal-fest.
A Dramatic Clash Between Gambia and Kenya
The hosts, Gambia, earned a penalty in the 30th minute, but goalkeeper Ian Otieno saved the shot to keep the score level. The first half ended goalless.
However, the second half saw a flurry of goals. Musa Barrow scored in the 55th minute, followed by Yankuba Minteh in the 61st minute, giving Gambia a 2-0 lead.
Despite falling behind, Benni McCarthy’s team refused to give up. In the 69th minute, Kenya converted a penalty through Michael Olunga. Just five minutes later, Mohammed Bejaber equalized, making it 2-2.
However, Gambia was not done yet. Musa Barrow struck again in the 84th minute, scoring his second goal and putting his team ahead 3-2.
With the match nearing its end and hopes fading, Kenya found a last-minute equalizer through William Wilson. The thrilling contest ended in a 3-3 draw.
This result was not ideal for either team, as Kenya remained 4th in Group F with six points, while Gambia sat in 5th place with four points.
Gabon’s Dominant Victory Over Seychelles
In another Group F match, Gabon comfortably defeated Seychelles with a dominant 3-0 victory. Jim Allevinah opened the scoring in the 3rd minute, while Denis Bouanga added two more goals in the 30th and 63rd minutes.
With this win, Gabon reached 12 points and secured the top spot in the group, whereas Seychelles remained without a single point after five matches.
Angola and Libya Share the Points in Group D
Meanwhile, in Group D, Angola and Libya played to a 1-1 draw. Libya took the lead in the 74th minute through Muayid Ellafi, but Fredy equalized for Angola in the closing minutes.
Following this result, Libya held 3rd place with eight points, while Angola remained in 4th place with seven points.