‘It would be a huge crime’ -Benni McCarthy on why he might turn down Harambee Stars job

Benni McCarthy on why he might turn down Harambee Stars job despite long-standing links to former Manchester United coach.

Benni McCarthy has outlined the conditions for his next managerial role, effectively suggesting that he may not be interested in taking up the vacant Harambee Stars head coach position.

The former Bafana Bafana striker has been widely reported as Football Kenya Federation’s (FKF) preferred candidate to replace Engin Firat, who resigned in December 2024.

 Despite FKF’s assurances that an appointment would be made soon, the process has dragged on, with negotiations reportedly hitting a few roadblocks. However, McCarthy remains FKF’s top choice.

The South African has been without a job since parting ways with Premier League club Manchester United in June 2024, where he served as an attacking coach under Erik ten Hag. Before his tenure at Old Trafford, he managed Cape Town City and AmaZulu in South Africa.

McCarthy, speaking to Soccer Laduma, emphasized the value of his coaching journey and the high standards he now expects in his next role.

“You need to learn to walk before you can start a sprint. I crawled my way in when I did my coaching badges. Just because I played the game at a level not many South Africans have before does not make me an expert,” he stated.

“I went and educated myself, started from the bottom, and worked my way up until I got my pro license within five years to fully understand coaching.”

McCarthy recalled his time as an assistant in Belgium and Scotland, with Celtic and Hibernian, before earning his first managerial role at Cape Town City.

“It was okay, but there were a lot of things I did not do well. It was part of learning. Then at AmaZulu, I took what I learned from Cape Town. I made mistakes there as well, but through my journey, I understood the type of coach I wanted to be,” he added.

His experience at Manchester United, where he worked with some of the world’s best players, reinforced his ambition to coach at a high level.

“That was me at the bottom feeding, and then the Manchester United opportunity came. That was when I knew that at the elite category, you can assess from there,” McCarthy explained.

“How many South Africans can even dream of such an opportunity? I was not the head coach, but I was part of a technical team that had to change the club’s fortune. We did that to some degree.”

McCarthy underlined that his next role must match the standards he has set for himself.

“I think what I have learned and gained from that experience, working with the caliber of players I have, it would be a crime to go all the way back to the bottom,” he asserted.

“The job that you get into should be like what Arsenal did with Arsène Wenger—becoming invincible. I want to manage a team now that has consistency, not just in competitive games but also in friendlies. I want a team with a mentality where even friendlies are treated like cup finals.”

His remarks strongly hint that he is unlikely to take on the Harambee Stars role unless FKF can meet his high expectations, making it increasingly uncertain whether he will be the one to lead Kenya in their upcoming campaigns.

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