Serhou Guirassy scored the only goal of the match as Guinea defeated Kenya 1-0 in a TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations PAMOJA 2027 qualifying fixture held in Conakry on Thursday.

The Borussia Dortmund forward broke the deadlock in the 32nd minute at the 28 September Stadium, earning Paulo Duarte's side their first points in Group D. Guinea had fallen to a 2-1 defeat away to South Africa on Matchday One.

Guirassy makes pressure count

Guinea dominated the early exchanges and nearly opened the scoring when Guirassy's free-kick rattled the woodwork. Kenya threatened in the 10th minute through Micah Obiero, who broke clear of the defence only to be denied by goalkeeper Mohamed Camara.

The hosts continued to press, with Abdoul Karim Traoré firing wide after a smart lay-off from Guirassy. The breakthrough eventually arrived just after the half-hour mark — Guirassy drove forward, cut through the Kenyan defence, and finished to give Guinea a deserved lead.

Kenya goalkeeper Byrne Omondi kept the scoreline at 1-0 before the interval, making key stops to deny both Traoré and Guirassy from doubling their advantage.

Kenya unable to find an equaliser

Kenya coach Benni McCarthy responded at half-time, introducing Ryan Ogam — scorer of his side's late equaliser against Eritrea — along with Timothy Ouma. Ogam almost made an instant impact, finding space in the penalty area in the 55th minute, but Camara produced a vital save to keep Guinea ahead.

McCarthy continued to push forward, bringing on Sharif Musa and handing Javan Omondi his international debut, but Guinea held firm through the closing stages to claim a crucial three points.

The result moves Guinea into second place in Group D with three points, while South Africa lead the group on six points after their 5-0 victory over Eritrea on Wednesday. Kenya remain on one point, though the Harambee Stars are already guaranteed a place at PAMOJA 2027 as co-hosts.

South Africa, Guinea, and Eritrea now compete to finish as the highest-placed non-host nation in the group and secure the remaining qualification spot.