Kenya announced Benni McCarthy, a former South African striker, as the new coach of the east African nation for a two-year term on Monday.
The 47-year-old has previously served as an assistant at Manchester United under Erik ten Hag, Cape Town City, and AmaZulu. This is his first position as an international coach.
“We are certain that Benni McCarthy is the best candidate to guide our national team forward following a thorough selection process,” stated Hussein Mohammed, the head of the Football Kenya Federation (FKF).
McCarthy, the Bafana Bafana’s all-time leading scorer, is replacing Turkish coach Engin Firat, who quit in December after Kenya was eliminated from the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
Credit: The Citizen
The former South African striker expressed his “absolutely privileged” feeling at the appointment and pledged to improve Kenya’s previous poor record.
At the moment, Kenya is ranked 108th in FIFA and fourth in their 2026 World Cup qualification group.
They will try to maintain their chances of qualifying for the World Cup next year by playing Gabon and Gambia later this month.
