Benni McCarthy set for KICC unveiling as new Harambee Stars coach
Football
By
Robert Abong'o
| Feb 28, 2025
Former Manchester United first-team coach Benni McCarthy is poised to be introduced as the new head coach of Kenya's national football team, the Harambee Stars, on Monday, March 3.
The Football Kenya Federation (FKF) confirmed the announcement in a statement released Thursday, February 27, revealing that the unveiling will occur at the KICC Pavilion at 1:45 PM EAT, attended by key FKF officials and other stakeholders.
The former Bafana Bafana striker is set will take the reins of the men's national team.
After a delay in his originally scheduled flight, McCarthy arrived in Nairobi early Thursday morning, where he was welcomed by FKF Vice President McDonald Mariga and NEC member Abdalla Yusuf.
McCarthy steps into the role following the resignation of his predecessor, Engin Firat, who left after the team failed to secure qualification for the AFCON 2025 tournament. His immediate challenge will be to lead the Harambee Stars in their 2026 World Cup qualifying matches against Gambia and Gabon next month.
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Reports suggest that McCarthy is considering adding former South African goalkeeper Joseph Moeneeb and Cape Town Spurs assistant coach Vasili Manousakis to his coaching staff, with Moeneeb likely to serve as the goalkeeper trainer and Manousakis as the assistant coach.
With this appointment, McCarthy will not only become the first South African to lead Kenya's men's national football team but also the 36th individual to take on this role since the team's inception in 1961.
Who is Benni McCarthy?
Born in Cape Town, South Africa, 47 years ago, McCarthy is celebrated as one of the finest footballers in Bafana Bafana history. His playing career included stints at prominent clubs such as Ajax, Celta de Vigo, Porto, Blackburn Rovers, West Ham United, and Orlando Pirates. His most notable achievements came during his time at Porto, where he clinched numerous titles, including the UEFA Champions League in 2004 under the management of Jose Mourinho, along with two Primeira Liga titles and the Intercontinental Cup.
Transitioning to coaching in 2014, McCarthy began as a youth team coach at Hibernian in Scotland before moving to Belgian club Sint-Truiden, where he completed his coaching licenses. He later became the head coach of Cape Town City FC, where he is remembered for signing Kenyan international Masud Juma. McCarthy earned his UEFA Pro License while at AmaZulu FC, where he achieved a historic second-place finish in the Premier Soccer League and led the team to the CAF Champions League group stages.
In July 2022, he joined Manchester United as an attacking coach, where he worked with the forwards until his contract ended in July 2024.
Personal Life
McCarthy was first married to Spanish national Maria Santos in 2004, with whom he has three daughters: Minna, Mya, and Allegra, before their divorce in 2007. He later married Scottish model Stacey Munro in May 2014, and they have two children together: a daughter, Lima Rose, born in 2012, and a son, Lio Romero, born in 2019.