Benni McCarthy was not happy with the referee in Kenya‘s 2-1 defeat to Gabon on Sunday.
The Harambee Stars lost their first game under McCarthy after playing to an exciting 3-3 draw with The Gambia in his first match in charge.
McCarthy admitted that Gabon’s quality made the difference, but also insisted the referee helped the visitors as “12th man”, while praising his side’s galiant effort.
“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,” he said in his post-match presser as per SPM Sports Kenya.
“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.
“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.
“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.
“And I ask myself first half, Michael Olunga was in a similar situation where he was ahead and the Gabonese player hit, smashed him. Against Gambia it was the same incident, we got a penalty because our player was ahead and the player was late to make the challenge, and then which is a penalty, and that’s the rules, [but] he doesn’t give it, and then he gives a soft penalty.
“So, when you go 2-0 down, then it becomes really difficult, because now the antics, they go down, they have cramps… The goalkeeper is injured the whole game, but he’s still, he’s still on the pitch, so then you play that tactic, so that you disrupt the play of the game, so that we don’t get into the game.
“But like I said, I’m super proud of my players, very proud for the fight, for the spirit they showed what Kenya is about. You know, even when you’re down, when things doesn’t go your way, you never give up, and you keep trying, and they keep pushing, and they played some beautiful football, and we got the goal.
“And then you think, ‘oh, maybe it’s Gambia all over again. We can get the two’, and then, with the amazing crowd that we have, we can get to 3-2, but unfortunately, it wasn’t to be, because the referee didn’t favour us today, nothing went our way.
“So, they had 12 players, 12 men. They were decent, but they had a lot of support from the officials, because everything went against us. And when it is like that, it’s difficult for team to win or to come back, or to try anything in the game when it is so complicated, when the guy, when the referees are not justifying the game.”
