'Everyone should be very much afraid'-  Benni McCarthy begins building a fearsome Harambee Stars squad

Benni McCarthy begins building a fearsome Harambee Stars squad Image source: Imago

'Everyone should be very much afraid'- Benni McCarthy begins building a fearsome Harambee Stars squad

Abigael Wafula 17:47 - 30.03.2025

Benni McCarthy is determined to transform Harambee Stars into a dominant force in African football ahead of the upcoming CHAN tournament.

Benni McCarthy has started working on creating a lethal Harambee Stars squad that he believes will obliterate African football giants that have dominated for years.

Benni McCarthy was unveiled as Harambee Stars coach earlier this month and already had a huge task ahead of him, with two crucial matches in a bid to make the squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

The South African guided Harambee Stars to a 3-3 draw against the Gambia in an away match before losing 2-1 to Gabon in a match played at the Nyayo National Stadium.

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After the matches, Benni McCarthy now has a chance to work with club coaches and players who are already a part of Harambee Stars to make an impact. He revealed that he had not had enough time with the players and there was so much to learn but he was ready for the task.

“We had only three training sessions with the entire team and we all saw how the team plays. That should tell you something,” Benni McCarthy said as per CAF Online.

“I think everyone should be very much afraid of the kind of team we are building now. If we have more time, more training sessions and more scouting, then we will have a really great team.”

Benni McCarthy added that he will now focus on attending local matches to scout for talent, something he had not been able to do due to the busy schedule of preparing the squad for the recently concluded World Cup qualifiers.

He now shifts focus to training the squad for their debut at the African Nations Championship, popularly known as CHAN scheduled for August 2 to 30.

Benni McCarthy revealed his plans to organise training camps to help the players build chemistry as they prepare for the crucial tournament, which they will co-host with Tanzania and Uganda.

“I haven’t watched many local games because I came in and immediately had to focus on the World Cup qualifiers. I had to rely a lot on the coaches who are there,” Benni McCarthy added.

“But now, we have time between now and August. I will move around the country to try and see as many players as possible.

“I am also hoping that we can organize small camps in between with some selected players so that we get to build a team early enough.”

Kenya being among the hosts, Benni McCarthy insisted that they have to produce results and be among the title contenders.

“We have to put up a very strong Harambee Stars side because we are hosting this tournament, and we can’t be there just to participate,” he insisted.

“We have to work to get out of the group stages and into the knockout rounds and that means, we need to get a very strong team.”

Kenya will be debuting at the event and in a very crucial pool including former champions Morocco and DR Congo. Angola and Zambia, who have reached the semifinal in previous editions are also in the category.