McDonald Mariga Comments on Benni McCarthy’s Future After Bright CHAN 2024 Run

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) vice president McDonald Mariga has weighed in on the performance of Harambee Stars coach Benni McCarthy so far.

McCarthy joined Kenya in March 2025 and after a slow start, he has since turned around the fortunes of the team as witnessed at the 2024 African Nations Championships (CHAN 2024) where they made it past a strong group and into the quarter-final.

The South African coach has earned plaudits for his tactical acumen and the professionalism that he has instilled into his players and there is hope that he can stay on longer than his contract which runs until 2027.

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Commenting on McCarthy, Mariga, who led the committee that appointed the tactician, is among those impressed by the job done by Bafana Bafana’s all-time top scorer and while he hopes that he can stay longer, he admits a lot can still change.

“He is my friend and we football people speak one language,” Mariga told Pulse Sports in relation to McCarthy.

“He is doing a good job and when I talk to him, he is okay but everyone has their own idea. But for now, we have him and he is doing a good job for our country. Let us go with him and I am sure we will go far,” he added, expressing confidence in the qualities of the former Manchester United first-team coach.

Mariga’s sentiments come two weeks after McCarthy confirmed that he intends to return to club management in the near future, casting doubts over his stay with Harambee Stars, beyond his contract, which will end after the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations that will be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

“My ambition is to one day go back and manage a club. I want to do this every day. I want to be with the players every day. At international level, you do not get that,” McCarthy told the media at the beginning of the CHAN 2024 tournament.

“Maybe when I am 70, I can come back but for now, I am too young to do this [manage national team] for 10 years. So, I want to go back to club football. It would be very selfish if I do not continue learning.

“In the near future, I would be looking to manage a football club because I want to pass the knowledge to players every day,” he added.

Since his appointment, McCarthy has taken charge of nine matches, winning four, drawing as many, and losing one, with his style of play impressing fans.