Comment by Mihlali Baleka
Benni McCarthy has always been a national treasure, and that’s why his imminent appointment as the coach of the Kenyan national team puts the country on the map.
McCarthy landed in Nairobi on Thursday morning alongside his old friend Moeneeb Josephs, who’s set to be his goalkeeper coach.
The 47-year-old is set to be unveiled by the Football Kenya Federation on Friday as the new coach of the Harambee Stars, while his full backroom staff will be announced soon.
Bennie McCarthy arrives in Nairobi to become Harambee Stars head coach, welcomed by FKF Deputy President McDonald Mariga. Official unveiling on Friday @MarigaOfficial @Officialfkfpl
Karibu Kenya Bennie 🇰🇪#HarambeeStars #BennieMcCarthy #FootballKE #SpmSports pic.twitter.com/arFOCCgtnG
McCarthy will become the latest SA-born coach to head up a national team on foreign soil, having seen most of his peers moving to other countries for club football.
That shouldn’t be surprising. The discerning observer and astute football person will tell you that McCarthy has always been a pioneer of note, taking the road less travelled since the start of his career.
McCarthy recently became the first South African to be a coach at Manchester United, having been roped in as a strikers’ coach for his childhood club under manager Erik ten Hag.
And while McCarthy had a decorated playing career, which included being the only local to win the Uefa Champions League, he is also the most qualified coach on home soil.
The Cape Flats-born coach and former FC Porto striker etched his name in the history books, becoming the first South African to complete his Uefa Pro Coaching License.
That educational background helped him a great deal, so much so that he cut his football teeth at Cape Town City, where he won the MTN8 and finished in another MTN8 final.
It was not that McCarthy’s players were outstanding en route to reaching finals, but he got the best out of everyone because he fought for them, and they also fought for him.
However, for all his early success in his coaching career, he’ll have fond memories of guiding AmaZulu to a record second-place finish in the Premiership a few seasons ago.
That finish allowed the team to qualify for the CAF Champions League, in which they also punched above their weight as they qualified for the group stage in their first attempt.
Of course, it’s worth noting that club and international football are a different kettle of fish. As such, McCarthy’s work will be cut out for him with the Harambee Stars.
But perhaps the fact that he’s not under pressure to deliver, as Kenya failed to qualify for the Afcon in Morocco later this year, will augur well for his plan to rebuild the team.
McCarthy might still need to quickly roll up his sleeves and get to work for the team’s World Cup qualifiers next month, as they’ll face Gambia away and Gabon at home respectively.
As things stand, the Harambee Stars are still in the running to qualify for the global showpiece in North America next year on paper.
But whether that’s still a reality is another story altogether. They trail log leaders and African kings Ivory Coast by five points after the first four rounds of matches in Group F.
So, given that only the top teams in each of the nine groups will qualify for the World Cup finals, McCarthy might consider using the qualifiers to start planning for the 2027 Afcon finals.
Kenya have already qualified for the next Afcon finals in 2027, as they’ll be co-hosts alongside Uganda and Tanzania respectively.
McCarthy has shown that he’s not scared of challenges, and will work his socks off to ensure that he succeeds – hence his decorated career as a player, and now a coach.
Sure, coaching a national team will be an uncharted territory for him and his right-hand men, but if there’s anyone who can make the most of the opportunity, it is him.
After all, McCarthy has known that whenever he succeeds, it’s not only about him, but the nation. So, that’s why he won't want to stop making the nation proud of his achievements.