Change of Plans for Benni McCarthy as Harambee Stars Abandon Asian Tour for African Minnows

Harambee Stars coach Benni McCarthy will lead Kenya for matches in his country South Africa after a change of plans in their plans for the June international window.

Kenya was initially set to play Palestine and Kyrgyzstan next month but has changed the fixture list and they will instead take on African minnows Lesotho.

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) confirmed the change of plans on Friday with the Southern African nation set to face Kenya twice on June 4 and June 7 at the Lucas Moripe Stadium in Pretoria.

“The first game will be played on Thursday, June 4, 2026, at 4PM EAT with the final game set for Sunday, June 7, 2026, also at 4PM EAT,” FKF said on its website.

“The June international window will provide the technical bench with another opportunity to assess the team as Harambee Stars continue preparations for upcoming continental assignments.”

Reports state that McCarthy was not happy with the choice of Palestine and Kyrgyzstan as Kenya’s opponents in next month’s friendlies as he prepares for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, leading to the change of plans.

Lesotho are placed at position 145 on the FIFA ranking, 34 places below Kenya, and come into the match after winning two of their last 10 games in all competitions, having drawn as many and lost six.

McCarthy is looking to build a strong team for AFCON 2027 and called up five new players for the two friendlies in June.