Benni McCarthy, coach of Kenya ©Djaffar Ladjal/BackpagePix
Tuesday May 19, 2026. 16:25
The draw for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers has thrown up the prospect of some intriguing battles, including South Africa being pooled alongside Kenya.
The clashes between Bafana Bafana and the Harambee Stars will take on added significance and poignancy given that the latter team are coached by South African football legend Benni McCarthy.
McCarthy has been in charge of Kenya’s senior men’s national team for just over 14 months, and the 2027 AFCON – which will be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania – represents a key moment for his tenure.
The Harambee Stars will be present at the tournament regardless of their results in Group D of the qualifiers against South Africa, Guinea and Eritrea, but putting up a strong showing will raise confidence that they can exceed expectations as AFCON co-hosts.
Under McCarthy’s tenure, Kenya have already enjoyed one strong showing as co-hosts of a major tournament, reaching the quarterfinals of the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN, played in August 2025).
McCarthy, who remains Bafana Bafana’s all-time highest scorer (31 goals from 80 caps) and represented his country at three AFCONs, two World Cups and the 2000 Olympic Games, will put aside his sense of patriotism for Kenya’s matches against the nation of his birth – with the group stage of the qualifiers set to begin in September 2026 and conclude in March of 2027.
South Africa and Kenya have met in four official senior international matches, with Bafana Bafana claiming three wins compared to one for the Harambee Stars.
The teams’ most recent meeting was a friendly international in October 2012 in Nairobi which SA won 2-1 thanks to a strike from Tokelo Rantie and an own goal from Christopher Wekesa.