Serhou Guirassy scored the lone goal as Guinea bounced back from an opening defeat to secure a 1-0 victory over Kenya in their TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations PAMOJA 2027 qualifier in Conakry on Thursday.
The Borussia Dortmund forward struck in the 32nd minute, earning Paulo Duarte’s team their first points in Group D after a 2-1 loss to South Africa in their previous match.
With this win, Guinea moved into second place with three points, three behind leaders South Africa, who triumphed 5-0 over Eritrea. Kenya remains at one point after their earlier 1-1 draw against Eritrea, yet they have already qualified for PAMOJA 2027 as co-hosts.
This situation leaves South Africa, Guinea, and Eritrea contending for the highest-placed non-host nation in the group to secure the remaining qualification spot.
Guinea started strong, coming close to scoring when Guirassy’s free-kick hit the crossbar. They kept the pressure on, with Guirassy eventually breaking through to score just after the half-hour mark. Kenya’s Byrne Omondi made key saves to keep the scoreline from widening before halftime.
In the second half, Kenya’s coach Benni McCarthy made tactical changes, bringing on Ryan Ogam and Timothy Ouma in search of an equaliser, but despite their efforts, Guinea’s defence held firm.
Duarte’s team successfully protected their narrow lead, clinching their first victory of the campaign, while South Africa leads Group D with six points.
