Benni McCarthy, coach of Kenya during the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers 2026 football match between Kenya and Gambia at the Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi, Kenya on 5 September 2025 ©Kelly Ayoudi/BackpagePix
Sunday Mar 08, 2026. 13:00
Kenya national team coach Benni McCarthy has admitted to frustration at his current role, hinting that he will opt for a return to day-to-day action at club level in the future.
McCarthy, who has coached South African clubs AmaZulu FC and Cape Town City, as well as working in the technical teams for Sint-Truiden, Hibernian and Manchester United, took up the Harambee Stars coaching role in March 2025.
He helped Kenya reach the quarterfinals of the African Nations Championship (CHAN) on home soil last year, but recently acknowledged that he misses daily engagement with players – something that is simply not part of the job at international level.
“This experience in Kenya has been unbelievable, it’s been remarkable, it’s been nice, but I think I’m still too young to go so long without being active,” McCarthy said, as quoted by The Star.
“I want to be every day on the training pitch, smell the grass. I want to improve players.”
The former Bafana Bafana striker added, “You don’t have enough time with players. Like, I’ve not seen them for three months. When I see them, I’m only going to have a week to do what I can with them.”
McCarthy concluded, “After this experience with Kenya, I’m really looking to get back into managing a club.”
McCarthy’s Harambee Stars will be in action during the international window later this month, playing in the FIFA Series in Kigali against Estonia and either Rwanda or Granada.