Former South African international Benni McCarthy has been appointed as the new head coach of Kenya, with just three weeks to prepare for two crucial World Cup qualifiers later this month.
The 47-year-old signed a contract with the Kenya Football Federation, which had been on the table since December, and will be tasked with steering the Harambee Stars towards their first-ever World Cup appearance.
McCarthy will be supported by former Richards Bay coach Vasili Manousakis and ex-South Africa and Orlando Pirates goalkeeper Moeneeb Josephs, who will serve as his assistants.
His first matches in charge will see Kenya travel to face Gambia before hosting Gabon. While the exact dates and venues are yet to be confirmed, both fixtures are vital for Kenya’s World Cup aspirations. The Harambee Stars currently sit fourth in Group F with five points from four games, trailing leaders Ivory Coast by five points, with six qualifiers still to play.
Kenya is set to co-host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations alongside Tanzania and Uganda but failed to qualify for the 2025 tournament in Morocco.
McCarthy’s Coaching and Playing Credentials
McCarthy’s appointment comes nine months after he left Manchester United, where he was part of Erik ten Hag’s coaching staff. Previously, he managed Cape Town City and AmaZulu, the latter of which he guided from a relegation-threatened position to a second-place finish in the 2020-21 South African Premier Soccer League.
As a player, McCarthy remains one of South Africa’s most decorated footballers. He is the only South African to have won the UEFA Champions League, achieving the feat with FC Porto under José Mourinho in 2004. His tally of 31 international goals for Bafana Bafana remains a national record.
McCarthy becomes the ninth South African to take charge of a national team outside his homeland, following in the footsteps of coaches such as Thomas ‘Zero’ Johnson (Botswana), Ephraim Mashaba (Eswatini), and Thabo Senong (Lesotho). Last month, Botswana appointed another South African, Morena Ramoreboli, as their new head coach.
