Harambee Stars Goalkeeper Defends Benni McCarthy After Costly World Cup Qualifier Decision

Harambee Stars goalkeeper Farouk Shikhalo has come to the defence of head coach Benni McCarthy after criticism over his decisions during Kenya’s 3-1 World Cup qualifying loss to The Gambia at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani.

Many supporters questioned his team selection, expecting the squad that excelled at the African Nations Championship to start.

Instead, Harambee Stars coach Benni McCarthy opted to field several foreign-based players, a move that sparked debate among fans.

PAY ATTENTION: Stay updated with the Latest Sports News in Kenya from Pulse Sports

“But when we play at the local level, we have the quality to do that [field CHAN players]. That is why you have European players so that you can integrate the two,” Benni McCarthy defended his decision in a press conference.

“I will give you my honest assessment, if I had played [Alphonce] Omija, [Lewis] Bandi, Sylvester and Abud, we get 10. The honest truth, so I have to be realistic also, and it is a learning curve, and hopefully one day, we get there, but for this, no chance.”

The Harambee Stars goalkeeper noted that expectations had risen after the strong CHAN performance, but he defended Benni McCarthy’s stance by saying the coach was right about the elevated demands of international football.

Farouk Shikhalo acknowledged that the team fell short of their best on the day and allowed the opponents to take advantage by scoring three goals.

“After CHAN, the expectations were high because we did a very good job. However, I would just back coach Benni because what he says is true, the international level is just another world, and it is just that it was not our day,” he pointed out in an interview on the Alex Mwakideu TV.

“We didn’t play to our level best, and the opponents scored three goals. To be honest, you can’t compare someone who plays in England to someone who plays in the KPL.”

Farouk Shikhalo added that the level of foreign leagues is generally superior, with players exposed to aspects of the game that may not be common locally.

The former Bandari FC captain pointed out that criticism had even been directed at captain Michael Olunga after the defeat, yet the striker responded in the best way by scoring in the following match against Seychelles.

He stressed that Benni McCarthy was justified in his remarks, noting that comparing someone competing in England to a player based in Kenya is simply unrealistic given the differences in standards.

“I feel like that league is higher than us, and there are things we might not know that those people do. After we lost, people came after Olunga, who is now a captain, and he answered them with goals in our next match. Coach had every right, and it’s true, you can’t compare a player who plays in England with one in Kenya,” he added.

After the horror show against The Gambia, Harambee Stars delivered a dominant performance in their 5-0 victory over Seychelles.

The scoring began early when Ryan Ogam headed in the opener for Kenya in the seventh minute. Midway through the first half, defender Collins Sichenje powered home the second goal in the 35th minute.

Ryan Ogam then quickly added his second of the night, scoring in the 38th minute to extend the lead to 3-0. Just before the halftime whistle, Captain Michael Olunga converted a penalty kick in the 45+5th minute to give Harambee Stars a commanding four-goal cushion at the break.

Michael Olunga then sealed the comfortable win and his own brace in the second half, heading in Kenya's fifth goal in the 67th minute.