Harambee Stars Coach Provides Worrying Update on Goalkeeper Brian Bwire After Horror Injury Against Burundi

Harambee Stars coach Benni McCarthy has revealed the extent of the injury suffered by goalkeeper Brian Bwire during their World Cup qualifier against Burundi on Thursday.

Bwire was stretched off the pitch after a nasty injury sustained in the first minute of the contest after a collision with Burundi forward Bonfils-Caleb Bimenyimana who lunged into him in an attempt to get on the ball and score.

The former Kaizer Chiefs striker would receive a straight red card for the dangerous foul with the Swallows playing the entire contest with 10 men as Kenya went on to win 1-0 thanks to Ryan Ogam’s well-taken goal in the 72nd minute.

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Commenting on the injury, McCarthy confirmed how badly the Polokwane City goalkeeper was injured while slamming Bimenyimana for not having due regard for the opponent.

“In the first minute when your goalkeeper receives medical attention because he has a five-inch cut above his eye which for me was very dangerous,” McCarthy told the media after the patch.

“As a player, yeah as a striker you go for it but if you see you are not going to win the ball then why put your feet there when you see the goalkeeper?

“When you lose your goalkeeper in the first minute of the game, then it becomes extra tough because my players were reserved [now] because they do not want to get injured,” added McCarthy on the impact of Bwire’s injury on the rest of the team.

Bwire was getting a second straight start after playing 90 minutes in Kenya’s 5-0 thrashing of Seychelles in September but the injury curtailed his afternoon with Byrne Omondi replacing him.

Omondi would come up trumps in the end as he made a great save in the final minutes of the game to prevent Burundi from equalising.

It is still not certain how long the injury will keep the goalkeeper out but it is a setback for him as he has established himself as first-choice at his South African club this season.