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Analysing how Benni McCarthy can get the best out of his first choice fullbacks Erick 'Marcelo' Ouma and Ronney Onyango for Harambee Stars.
In March 2025, Benni McCarthy finally took charge of his first two games in charge of the Kenya national football team Harambee Stars in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
Stars took on The Gambia and Gabon respectively, and both games left fans with plenty to be excited about for the future.
Against Gambia, they settled for a 3-3 draw, coming back from losing positions on two separate occasions, and for the game against Gabon, they lost 2-1 in what was the first competitive game Kenya was playing on home soil since 2021.
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In both games, there were performances that left many people abuzz with talk - including left back Erick ‘Marcelo’ Ouma and new Sogndal right back Ronney Onyango.
Both players were very effective in attacking situations, particularly Ouma, but were also caught out on occasions defensively.
This now begs the question: should Benni McCarthy consider switching to a back three to accommodate their strengths? Pulse Sports analyses both players, and why the South African gaffer should consider shaking the system to make them more effective.
Erick ‘Marcelo’ Ouma
Erick ‘Marcelo’ Ouma has become one of the country’s most important players ever since his breakthrough in 2017. His form at Gor Mahia earned him a move to Georgia, and it is from there where he sought greener pastures in Sweden, first for third-tier outfit Vasserlund.
His brilliant form there eventually attracted the attention of AIK, who signed him in 2020.
For most of his career there, the defender featured as a left wing back, and you could see the reason why. That ability to take on his markers one on one as well as stretch teams with his pace.
He may not exactly be a Leighton Baines in terms of being an accurate crosser of the ball, but these other attributes make him stand out. These attributes earned him a move to Rakow Częstochowa in 2024.
Brilliant combinations on the left with Mohammed Bajaber & Daniel Anyembe
During the Gabon game, Ouma earned a lot of praise from Kenyan fans for his spectacular performance in attack, combining well with Mohammed Bajaber several times during the match.
One moment was in the 55th minute, when the former Gor Mahia man nonchalantly dribbled past two markers, disorienting their shape and then passing the ball to Michael Olunga, who whipped an early cross to William Lenkupae, but his shot went wide.
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For Michael Olunga’s goal to reduce the deficit to 2-1, Ouma hugged the line splendidly, and combined well with Mohammed Bajaber thanks to a neat one-two between the two of them.
Upon meeting the return pass, he bombed up with the ball towards the byline, before sending a cut back into the box that was well poached by Olunga, showing his attacking superpowers.
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He showed his willingness to hug the line and create dangerous inroads in the final third again in the 78th minute after receiving a good pass from Daniel Anyembe once more as shown below.
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But for all his attacking qualities, Marcelo was also at fault on a lot of occasions defensively. Against Gabon, he gave away a needless penalty after handling the ball, but that is not where the issue lies.
Let us take a look at the Gambia game, where he was directly at fault for both the second and third goals scored by Yankuba Minteh and Musa Barrow respectively due to positional lapses as a left back.
For the first one, the team was caught defending narrow by pushing high up, which allowed Joseph Ceesay to get on the end of a diagonal ball. He cut it back to Minteh, who drove with the ball into the box before unleashing a shot into the back of the net on his weaker right foot.
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The second one was a classic case of failing to defend his man one on one well before the ball eventually landed into the feet of Ouma for the goal.
Ronney Onyango
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Ronney Onyango has become one of the most consistent players for the national team since making his debut against Russia in 2023.
Onyango, who recently left Gor Mahia to join Norwegian outfit Sogndal FC, was mostly being deployed as a right winger by former coach Engin Firat due to his ability to influence the game in an attacking sense.
“Rooney has a lot of offensive qualities which he has started learning quickly in the national team.
“He is clearly an offensive player and that’s the position I will be using him in. If you put him on the right back, it's like driving a Porsche with a hand brake on,” Firat said back in 2023 of his qualities.
Onyango has created a reputation for being a fantastic crosser of the ball in all situations, especially floated balls.
He grabbed his first assist against Zimbabwe during their 3-1 win that match after creating a goal from a floated cross.
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Following the departure of Engin Firat, new coach Benni McCarthy instantly redeployed him in his natural right back position, and over both matches, he showed his attacking qualities, such as against Gambia, where his cross should have resulted in Michael Olunga finding the back of the net, but the captain headed it wide.
Onyango is better defensively than Marcelo, and does not often find himself on the wrong end of right wingers running at him, but you get the sense he would be at his optimum in a more attacking role, such as the right wing back.
Final Verdict
Adopting a back three formation could offer numerous tactical advantages for Kenya as they pursue their first-ever World Cup qualification.
Not only would it maximize the strengths of both Onyango and Ouma, it would also allow for the use of twin strikers or on other occasions, floating number 10s, such as Mo Bajaber and Austine Odhiambo to create chances for Michael Olunga upfront.
It would also allow for the addition of an extra center back to offer security and thus allow the team to push further up the pitch.
It addresses the current squad's limitations, maximizes the strengths of key players, and provides tactical flexibility.
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