South African legend Benning McCarthy is close to being unveiled as the next Harambee Stars coach and there are reasons why he could be of great help to Michael Olunga.
It now appears that the appointment of South African legend Benni McCarthy as the next Harambee Stars coach is a done deal in what will be a great shift in coaching philosophies for the national team.
McCarthy will walk into a team that had its attacking instincts stifled under former coach Engin Firat, who preferred a more defensive approach in competitive matches.
Firat rarely allowed his team to play free-flowing attacking football, preferring to stay tight at the back and hit opponents on the break, but that still did not yield results in his three years in charge.
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Among those who failed to sparkle under Firat is striker Michael Olunga who either fed on scraps or missed some great opportunities.
South African legend Benni McCarthy has been heavily linked with the Harambee Stars job and here is everything you need to know about the former Bafana Bafana striker.
However, with the appointment of McCarthy, that is likely to change as the South African prefers an attacking brand of football.
This was evident during his stints as coach of both Cape Town City and AmaZulu in South Africa and it is from his strengths in attack that he was hired as Manchester United’s first-team coach, primarily to work with the club’s forwards.
That could be good news for Olunga who has shown at club level that he is one of the most lethal strikers in the world.
The forward bangs in the goals for fun at Al Duhail but when he dons the national team, he does not score as often but McCarthy could be the man to unlock him.
McCarthy favours an attacking, possession-based style of football with the aim being to dominate the game with ball control and creating scoring opportunities through quick passing and movement.
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This style needs players who are good on the ball and the South African will have to get his selections right if he has to implement it.
If it succeeds, Olunga will be the biggest beneficiary as he will be on the end of loads of chances created by his team-mates and with his clinical finishing, he will find the back of the net more regularly.
As a former striker, McCarthy has used his experience to tune his forwards on positioning, anticipation and finishing, things Olunga and the other attacking players can benefit from.
While McCarthy is wedded to an attacking football, he is also adaptable. He has previously shown a willingness to adjust his style based on the strengths of his players as well as the opponents to get a positive result.
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He will have to do this more than he would like as international football is different from club football where there is a next match to get it right.
At this level, games are few and results are required immediately. It means being pragmatic in some games where his team can opt for long balls or surrender possession to the opponent but ensure they are quick on transition.
It is a game that also suits Olunga as he is good both in the air and on the ground, meaning he will win most long balls and has the pace and finishing that can kill off an opponent on the counter attack.
With his intelligence and pace, Olunga can get more involved in the game, especially when playing on the counter, and not cut a lonely figure upfront as it has been in the previous regime, while he can also act as a playmaker by using his hold-old play to create space for his team-mates to attack.
Benni McCarthy has also spoken previously on the importance of proper professionals and good leaders in the team and they do not get better than Olunga.
A model pro, who acts as both a great example and an inspiration to his team-mates, Olunga has set the standards high for the rest and it will be easy to pass on the message given his experience and good relationship with his team-mates.
Another asset that Olunga possesses that will be crucial is his humility which has endeared him to the rest of his team-mates over the years.
He will be the link between the team and technical bench as players who are afraid to approach the coach will willingly open up to him given the trust and respect that exists which will lead to great team harmony.
