Benni McCarthy's All-SA team ready to transform Kenya's World Cup hopes

Kenya’s new head coach, Benni McCarthy, is excited about the challenge of guiding the Harambee Stars in their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, with their campaign kicking off against Gambia at the Alassane Ouattara Ebimpé Olympic Stadium on Thursday, 20 March. Kick-off is set for 9pm.

Kenya have faced a bumpy start in Group F, drawing two crucial matches against Burundi and Ivory Coast. Currently sitting in fourth place, Kenya finds themselves five points behind leaders Ivory Coast after four games.

McCarthy, who is leading Kenya for the first time, was open about the excitement of the journey ahead. 

“I'm thrilled to be part of these qualifiers for the first time as head coach. This is an exciting group of players, and I’m looking forward to working with them as we face these challenges head-on,” he said.

With a lot of work ahead, McCarthy is confident the squad can rise to the occasion. 

"We know there’s a lot to do, but we’re ready to embrace this challenge together as a team,” he added.

This World Cup qualifying campaign marks a new chapter for the Harambee Stars, as McCarthy is not alone in this journey. 

The South African football legend has brought with him an all-South African technical team that includes goalkeeper coach Moeneeb Josephs, assistant coach Vasili Manousakis, and performance analyst Pilela Maposa.

This style of management is no longer a foreign concept to South Africans with the likes of Pitso Mosimane and Rulani Mokwena assembling their own ‘super-groups’ in recent years. 

McCarthy, who signed a deal that will keep him with the national team until 2027, has assembled a team of trusted lieutenants who have shared success together in the past. 

Josephs joins the Kenyan setup after a stint with La Masia FC in the ABC Motsepe League, while Manousakis and Maposa both come in after leaving Cape Town Spurs and AmaZulu FC, respectively. 

All four have worked closely together at AmaZulu FC, where they achieved a club-record second-place finish in the Premier Soccer League (PSL) and qualified for the CAF Champions League for the first time in the club's history.

The technical team’s accomplishments are undeniable. Under McCarthy, they achieved remarkable feats, including McCarthy’s individual success as PSL Coach of the Season, following AmaZulu’s historic campaign. 

The seasoned coach also won the MTN8 with Cape Town City in 2018 but his most recent role came as a striker coach under Erik ten Hag at Manchester United.

McCarthy’s appointment comes after the resignation of former head coach Engin Firat, who parted ways with the Harambee Stars following their failure to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco.

Now, with a fully South African technical team at the helm, the Harambee Stars are eager to turn a new page and make their mark on the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.