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Here is how Jose Mourinho students Benni McCarthy and McDonald Mariga are applying the Special One’s wisdom on Harambee Stars
While legendary coach Jose Mourinho is working thousands of miles away in Turkey, his students Benni McCarthy and McDonald Mariga are applying what he taught them in Kenya.
Mourinho enjoyed success with both McCarthy and Mariga, winning the Portuguese league and UEFA Champions League with the Harambee Stars coach in 2004 with FC Porto, while he led Inter Milan to a treble of league, cup and Champions League in 2010, when the FKF vice president was one of his players.
During the ongoing 2024 African Nations Championships (CHAN 2024), Mourinho must have been proud if he took a glance at what is happening in Kenya as McCarthy has guided Harambee Stars to the quarter-final from a tough group while Mariga has been a constant feature around the team in training, meetings, during and before matches.
PAY ATTENTION: Stay updated with the Latest Sports News in Kenya from Pulse Sports
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06:00 - 12.08.2025
Benni McCarthy: How Life at Porto With Jose Mourinho Shaped Football Legend
Discover how Benni McCarthy’s unforgettable Porto journey under Jose Mourinho shaped his rise from South Africa to European football glory.
McCarthy has already admitted that he applied the Special One’s wisdom against Angola and Morocco when his side secured a 1-1 draw and 1-0 win respectively while playing with 10 men for large periods of the games and Mariga has also shared how he is passing on what he learned from Mourinho.
How Are the Mourinho Students Helping Harambee Stars?
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“Mourinho was Benni’s and my coach too and he won the Champions League with him at Porto and with me at Inter and is a great coach. He has motivated us in different ways that we are trying to apply to our players,” Mariga told Pulse Sports.
“McCarthy is very experienced and stayed with him longer so it becomes so easy to interact with players. The good thing being in camp with players is you talk football and make players have a lot of confidence.”
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19:31 - 10.08.2025
Benni McCarthy: How José Mourinho’s Playbook Helped Tame Morocco, Angola at CHAN 2024
The South African gaffer masterminded two gritty CHAN 2024 results, guiding Kenya past Morocco, Angola despite back-to-back red card setbacks.
Mariga is also delighted that Harambee Stars have a coach who played football at the highest level as it is someone they can not only learn from but also get inspired by.
“Benni is a great coach to these young players because he has played World Cup, Africa Cup and won Champions League so that is a good level to know how to deal with players and he has given almost everyone a chance to play,” he added.
“Other coaches play one team up to the end of the tournament, which shows how different he is. McCarthy has shown us that anyone can play and that we have talented footballers in Kenya.”
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18:36 - 19.08.2025
McDonald Mariga Breaks Silence Over Claims of Exclusion Within FKF
FKF vice president McDonald Mariga has opened about rumours that he has been sidelined within the federation.
McCarthy’s men take on Madagascar in their CHAN 2024 quarter-final on Friday and the Mourinho students will be crucial to pushing them into the last four.