Benni McCarthy on How He is Planning for a Strong Kenyan Team Beyond AFCON 2027

Harambee Stars coach Benni McCarthy may have a contract with Kenya until 2027 but he is looking past next year in terms of how he is building the team.

McCarthy’s deal will run out after AFCON 2027 and he is widely expected to leave after expressing a desire to return to club football management soon.

However, while he is keen for a great showing at AFCON 2027, is also working towards having a strong team in place that will serve Kenya well even after he is gone and that is what is informing his decision to call up many young players lately.

McCarthy has been giving call-ups to a number of players born abroad and who have Kenyan roots as well as youngsters in the local league and he admits this is part of his grand plan to put together a strong side that will outlast his reign.

“The two friendlies came at a good time because the season is just finished and we have a lot of young Kenyan players playing abroad that we have not got an opportunity to watch them,” McCarthy, whose team will face Lesotho twice this week, said on Monday.

“This gives us a good indication to see the levels and quality they have compared to previous teams that we have and it added more to the potential that we had and by the time September comes, African qualification matches, and you see the group we are in, Guinea, South Africa and Eritrea.

“We want to be ready because even though we have already qualified, we also want to feel like we deserve to be there because of the quality we want to have in the group stages [of AFCON 2027].”

The South African coach is thrilled that he has an array of quality young players to choose from as they will form the core of the team which he is looking to build beyond AFCON 2027.

“So this is our best opportunity to see all of them and the best thing about it is that everybody is about 25 so it is a young squad and that is what we want; good, quality top young players that can represent Kenya so that there is continuity,” he added.

“Once we are gone, we will leave this national team with a good crop of young players so more young players coming through.”

Among the new players McCarthy will look at this month is goalkeeper Caleb Kramer, who plays for Dutch side ADO Den Haag, English-based defenders Deon Woodman (Wealdstone FC) and Sydney Agina of Stoke City as well as forwards Sammy Hena-Kamau (Hull City) and Micah Obiero of Wealdstone FC.