Harambee Stars coach Benni McCarthy’s appointment has been lauded by a Kenyan legend who knows him too well, having played for over a decade in South Africa.
Former Harambee Stars captain Musa Otieno is among those thrilled by the appointment of Benni McCarthy as the national team coach.
McCarthy’s highly-awaited unveiling finally took place on Monday March 3 and there is excitement among observers and fans that the South African legend will turn around Kenya’s fortunes after years of struggle on the international front.
Otieno, who knows McCarthy so well, having played in South Africa with Santos for 14 years between 1997 and 2011, feels the ex-Bafana Bafana striker has all the qualities to succeed as he understands African football and has also worked internationally.
“When you look at his history, he has the experience of having worked at the highest international level. He understands the local environment as well and this should give him an advantage when working with Harambee Stars,” Otieno, Kenya’s longest-serving captain, told Mozzart Sport.
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McCarthy’s coaching journey has taken him from Cape Town City and AmaZulu in South Africa to the Premier League with Manchester United, while he played in South Africa as well as Europe for clubs like Ajax Amsterdam, Celta Vigo, FC Porto and Blackburn Rovers.
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It is this experience that Otieno, a former Harambee Stars assistant coach, feels puts the 47-year-old in good stead to make his two-year stint in Kenya a success.
“The fact that he has worked at the highest level means he has learned quite a bit about football and we as a country are lucky to have him here. He is aware of new trends in football and we shall get better with his experience,” added the 2001-02 PSL winning captain with Santos.
Otieno has, however, urged the Harambee Stars coach to ensure his team has good preparations before key matches for them to get positive results, beginning with this month’s 2026 World Cup qualifiers, against the Gambia and Gabon.
“Participating in the World Cup is one of the most special feelings in the world and I want to give that to Kenya,” said Otieno.
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McCarthy has vowed to ensure Kenya seals a maiden World Cup ticket and has tricky matches coming up away to the Gambia on March 20 before hosting Gabon three days later.
Wins will be needed in both games if they have to revive their World Cup qualification hopes as they are in fourth position in their group with five points from four matches. Ivory Coast lead with 10 points, followed by Gabon (nine points) and Burundi with seven points.
