Benni McCarthy’s BACK as coach of THIS African country

Bafana Bafana legend Benni McCarthy is set to embark on the next chapter of his coaching career, having agreed in principle to become the new head coach of Kenya’s national team.

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The move comes following his departure from English Premier League giants Manchester United at the end of last season.

He had served as a first-team coach specialising in strikers under now former manager Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford.

Appointment was delayed

According to the Kenya-based Mozzart Sport website, McCarthy is set to arrive in Kenya on Wednesday, with his official unveiling scheduled for Friday next week.

The South African coach was identified as the new Harambee Stars tactician last December, but the process of formalising his appointment was delayed.

However, the wait is nearly over.

A source within the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) confirmed that all preparations have been finalised ahead of McCarthy’s arrival.

“He is flying to Nairobi this coming Wednesday. Everything regarding his appointment has been completed, and we have tentatively scheduled his unveiling for Friday,” the source said.

McCarthy’s appointment comes at a crucial time, with the World Cup qualifiers against Gambia and Gabon on 17 and 24 March, respectively.

Once officially appointed, McCarthy will immediately begin preparing the national team for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers.

Missed out on Afcon qualifying

The Harambee Stars missed out on qualification for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in Morocco and currently sit fourth in their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying group, with five points from four matches.

“As the president mentioned earlier, Francis Kimanzi was only an interim coach. The new head coach will be in charge of the matches against Gabon and Gambia. After his unveiling, he will work alongside several identified local coaches to prepare for the games. We need to be ready to compete,” the source added.

There is still uncertainty regarding whether McCarthy will also handle the CHAN tournament in August or if local coaches will take charge of those games.

The source clarified that a decision would be made later, as the immediate focus is the March international break.

Earlier this year, FKF president Hussein Mohammed reassured fans that the federation was committed to finding the best candidate for the national team.

“FKF is working to appoint a substantive coach and a competent technical bench to help us achieve our objectives. That’s why the current technical bench was appointed on an interim basis. We will provide an update on the new coach once all the details are finalized,” Hussein said at the time.

He also emphasised the importance of getting the appointment right, especially considering the financial challenges FKF has faced with previous coaches. 

“We have had issues with paying coaches in the past, and we don’t want to repeat those mistakes,” he noted.

Coaching CV

Benni McCarthy’s appointment is seen as a significant step for Kenya, a nation eager to reclaim its stature in African football.

McCarthy’s coaching CV also includes managerial stints in South Africa’s PSL with Cape Town City FC and AmaZulu FC.

McCarthy, now 47, played 79 matches for Bafana Bafana between 1997 and 2012, scoring a record 31 goals.

A look at the latest FIFA rankings shows that Kenya are ranked 25th in Africa and 108th in the world.

Will Benni McCarthy lead Kenya to the 2026 FIFA World Cup?

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