The Football Kenya Federation (FKF) on Monday officially unveiled former South Africa international Benni McCarthy as the new head coach of the men’s national team, Afrosport reports.
McCarthy has signed a two-year deal, which will see him remain with the Harambee Stars through the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), to be co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.
The 47-year-old replaces interim boss Francis Kimanzi, who took over after Turkish coach Engin Firat resigned in December.
“I am delighted to be here, and I am proud to have taken this challenge with a national team which has a lot of potential,” said McCarthy at his unveiling.
FKF president Hussein Mohammed added, “We are confident that Benni is the right person to lead our national team forward. His experience, vision, and commitment to developing Kenyan football align perfectly with our ambitions.
“We had a long list of coaches who were interested but when we looked at what he brings to the table, we were convinced it was a right decision,” Hussein said.
McCarthy, who was recently an assistant coach at Manchester United, will be in the dugout for the first time this month when the Harambee Stars take on The Gambia and Gabon, respectively, in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
Kenya currently sits fourth in Group F with five points from four games—five points behind leaders Ivory Coast.
“It is possible to win the two games and collect six points and then we can see where that takes us,” said McCarthy on the World Cup qualifiers.
“We just need to change the mentality of the players and not give up home. This campaign can be successful and anything is possible. We will work hard with the players and staff and we look at possibly finishing the group in the top two.”
The former Porto forward gets his third head coaching job, having previously been in charge at South African clubs Amazulu and Cape Town City.
McCarthy, South Africa’s all-time record goalscorer, represented Bafana Bafana at the 1998 and 2002 World Cups. He finished as the joint top scorer and best player at the 1998 AFCON.
He won the UEFA Champions League with Porto in 2004 as well as two Primeira Liga titles and enjoyed a successful playing career, winning titles with Ajax, Celta Vigo, and Orlando Pirates.
McCarthy will be joined by Vasili Manousakis as assistant coach, Moeneeb Josephs as goalkeepers coach, and Pilela Maposa as performance analyst.
