Benni McCarthy Reveals the Hidden Obstacle in Harambee Stars' Search for a First XI

Benni McCarthy suggested he has a clear Harambee Stars first XI in mind, but admitted one major obstacle stands in the way.

The Harambee Stars coach is aware of the importance of a settled starting XI, which is often key to consistency and chemistry, something seen with dominant sides like Spain in their golden era and more recently Manchester City under Pep Guardiola.

However, injuries, lack of depth, and player availability remain major obstacles for teams all over the world, with Harambee Stars not being an exception.

The South African native pointed out that having a solid lineup is one of the things he would like to establish with Harambee Stars, but some players make it extremely difficult.

He explained that if some Harambee Stars players performed well for the national team like they do in their respective clubs, then the starting XI would have already been established.

Benni McCarthy revealed that most players already feel like superstars, and when called to training, they never want to follow instructions, and they end up performing poorly for the team, making it difficult for him to stick with a solid team.

The former Manchester United attacking coach added that he likes sticking to a certain kind of lineup, but players’ indiscipline forces him to make changes.

“A player might play well for his team, but when he comes here, he doesn’t want to train; he thinks he is too good for the national team. You can find yourself putting that player in the starting 11 even though he plays well for his club, but when he comes to the national team, he just doesn’t do it,” Benni McCarthy said.

“Those are some things that coaches and the technical team have to discuss and analyse, and we have to do what’s right for the team. We could have a very strong first 11, I don’t like to change, but I’m forced to.”

Benni McCarthy then pointed out that he is open to that idea, but insisted that Harambee Stars players need more opportunities to play for the national team so he can analyse every one of them.

According to Benni McCarthy, seeing the players in training will also be a great avenue for him to know the players he can rely on.

“Why not? I think if players play regularly, then I think we have a decent opportunity and a chance to select a good and strong Harambee Stars starting 11. It all depends on the player’s ability and what we see in training every day,” he added.

Benni McCarthy remains hopeful that with improved discipline and more consistent opportunities, Harambee Stars can build the reliable starting XI needed to compete at the highest level.