McDonald Mariga Explains What Benni McCarthy Is Doing Differently to Prepare Harambee Stars for AFCON 2027

Football Kenya Federation vice president McDonald Mariga has backed Benni McCarthy to thrive with Harambee Stars at the Africa Cup of Nations in 2027.

McDonald Mariga also revealed the approach the South African tactician is employing to ensure there is sufficient talent to stop the bigwigs of African football.

The 2027 AFCON is set to be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, and the pressure will be on the hosts to deliver, with McDonald Mariga throwing his full support behind Benni McCarthy.

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Speaking on the Obi One podcast, McDonald Mariga voiced firm confidence in Harambee Stars coach Benni McCarthy ahead of the AFCON 2027, explaining at length that the coach has intentionally shifted focus toward nurturing emerging talent and expanding the national team’s depth.

He pointed out that during a series of build-up matches staged a few months earlier, the technical bench made a conscious decision to leave out foreign-based professionals and instead assemble a squad made up entirely of locally based players, many of whom were young prospects still developing their careers.

McDonald Mariga highlighted that several of these players were drawn from junior levels, demonstrating Benni McCarthy’s willingness to invest in the future by exposing them to higher levels of competition early on.

He further explained that this experimental approach is not accidental but part of a broader vision to assess a wider pool of players, evaluate their adaptability, and understand how they perform under different tactical demands.

According to the FKF vice president, the coach is keen on building a balanced and competitive squad by blending youthful energy with discipline and technical growth, rather than relying solely on established names.

McDonald Mariga emphasised that such decisions show a clear intent to create healthy competition within the team, motivate upcoming players, and ensure that the country has multiple reliable options in every position.

In his view, this strategy reflects careful planning and a commitment to long-term success, as the coach continues to explore different player profiles and tactical setups in preparation for a strong showing at the 2027 tournament.

“Talking about the under-17, you know, playing in the national team. We had a couple of friendly matches months ago, and I can tell you that we had six under-20 players in that team. We didn't call the professional players,” McDonald Mariga said.

“We called only the local players, and they played in the friendly match. So, the coach is trying to see something different. He wants a different category of players so that he can see more players who can represent us in the 2027 AFCON.”

Building up for the AFCON 2027, Harambee Stars are set to participate in the 2026 FIFA Series, where they will face Estonia on March 27 before meeting either Rwanda or Grenada on March 30.