The Football Kenya Federation (FKF) is reportedly set to appoint Benni McCarthy as the new head coach of the national men’s football team, Harambee Stars. FKF, under a task force led by Deputy President McDonald Mariga, has actively been looking for a new coach following Engin Firat’s resignation earlier this month. Benni McCarthy during a past training session at Manchester United. Kevin Teya reports that the process has concluded.
After interviewing multiple candidates, FKF has settled on McCarthy to take over as the new head coach. Who is Benni McCarthy? McCarthy is a South African national who brings a wealth of experience, but this will be his first national team posting. His most recent job was as an assistant coach at Manchester United, where he trained the forwards under former manager Erik Ten Hag.
Born in 1977, the striker played for South African clubs Seven Stars and Cape Town Spurs before being signed by Dutch giants Ajax in 1997. Benni McCarthy under Jose Mourinho He left Ajax in 1999 and joined Spanish side Celta Vigo, where he spent three years. He joined Porto in 2003 and was part of the famous Jose Mourinho team that won the Champions League in 2004.
After leaving Porto, he had stints in England with Blackburn Rovers and West Ham United before returning home to Orlando Pirates where he retired in 2013 aged 35. Which teams have Benni McCarthy managed? As mentioned earlier, this will be his first national team posting. After retirement, McCarthy ventured into coaching, serving as an assistant at Hibernian and Sint-Truiden. He was later appointed Cape Town City coach before taking over at Amazulu in South Africa’s Premier Soccer League.
What did Benni McCarthy do at Manchester United? In 2022, he was appointed as one of Ten Hag’s assistants at Manchester United but left the role last season. He is widely credited with Marcus Rashford’s imperious form after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Francis Kimanzi appointed Harambee Stars interim coach If appointed, McCarthy will take over from Francis Kimanzi, who was appointed on an interim basis. Kimanzi was appointed to take charge of Harambee Stars at the Mapinduzi Cup, which will take place early next year. It remains unknown if McCarthy will be appointed in time to take charge of the team at the African Nations Championships (CHAN).
by Martin Moses
