New dawn or same old Harambee Stars?

We’ve been here before as Kenyan football fans. A new regime at the helm of the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) usually means a new head coach for the national team. The man chosen to lead Kenya for the next two and a half years is Benni McCarthy. A flashy appointment from Hussein Mohammed and co.

McCarthy makes his debut tonight against the Gambia in a World Cup qualifier but all eyes will be on his home debut at Nyayo National stadium against Gabon on Sunday. Kenyan football fans haven’t watched a national team home match since a shock 1-0 loss to South Sudan in a friendly match at Moi International stadium, Kasarani. The coach needs to make a good first impression.

The appointment is a crucial one for Kenyan football. One could even argue the next two years have the potential to bring the greatest footballing moments in our history. East Africa finally got hosting rights for the holy grail of African football, the Africa Cup of Nations in 2027. The allure of leading the home nation in a continental tournament is an opportunity Bennie McCarthy could not pass up despite his claims that he wanted to ‘revive the sleeping giant’ that is Kenya.

“I did have job interviews with other coaches and mostly it was clubs in the MLS but I think [Kenya] is a sleeping giant in my eyes,” McCarthy told Football Kenya Federation. 

Big statement from the South African. Even the most ardent of Kenyan football fans will admit that is a stretch, especially with our poor football organization. Ask Engin Firat, who played the entire 2025 AFCON qualifying campaign away from home and was blamed for complaining about it.

Tactics

The last two foreign coaches we’ve had were Sebastien Migne (2018-19) and Engin Firat (2021-2024). Both were similar in their pragmatic approach but I found Migne’s football unwatchable at times despite leading us to our most recent AFCON appearance in 2019. I was a big fan of Engin Firat. He had me tuning in to every Harambee Stars press conference not only due to his digs at journalists but also due to his power point presentations which many mocked. Our build up on the ball under Firat was also really good. I trusted the backline of Anyembe, Omurwa, Okumu and Marcelo with Akumu to safely build up from the back and ping passes to attackers. That’s an area I felt Firat improved us in.

Firat’s record wasn’t great. He had seven wins, seven draws and nine defeats in 23 matches in charge. But I think his tenure was marred by the poor finishing within the squad. Almost every single game under Firat there was a big chance for a certain number 9 of ours but he missed many of them. I remember impressive performances against Ivory Coast, Cameroon but I also remember us struggling to break down Zimbabwe. Playing at home could have helped Firat but in the end relationships had turned sour and parting ways was the right decision.

Benni Mcarthy is a coup in many ways. He brings a wealth of football experience and has high ambitions.

 “I’d like to manage in Europe, where I played for 15 years. I played in five countries and can speak English, Spanish, Dutch and Portuguese. I’m passionate and forward thinking, and I applied for the Hearts job last year. I can be a top manager because I played under so many other top managers. No African has managed in the English Premier League, Championship or Scottish Premiership. I can be the first,” he said in an interview with the Athletic’s Andy Mitten in 2020.

Having been a part of the Manchester United staff, Benni understands the pressures of football. The perception is that MacCarthy will bring a positive style of play to the Harambee Stars. The expectation is that we will see a high press, runs from midfield and lots of bodies in the box similar to his spell at Cape Town in the PSL. There is a lot of young talent and many fans hope McCarthy will be able to build a young, hungry and intense team that will bring even more fans to the stadium.

Squad Issues

It will be interesting to see how Benni MacCarthy builds his team. Creativity has and still is a major issue for us with no real quality at number 10 since Francis Kahata. Duke Abuya, Kenneth Muguna and Eric Jonna have alternated that position for the last five years, but none has provided the creative spark when needed.

The wings are an even bigger problem with no real transition threat that can ease the pressure on the defense. John Avire was used on the left under Firat with Rooney Onyango converted to a right winger for the national team. Our best crossers of the ball are both fullbacks.

Anthony Akumu’s time in midfield is almost up and he needs a successor. Odada has plateaued after a promising start while upfront Olunga needs competition after a poor AFCON 2025 qualifying campaign.

Tonight marks the start of an exciting journey for Kenyan football with a firm focus on a strong campaign at home in AFCON 2027. As they say in Nairobi, Benni’s at the wheel.