Pressure mounts on McCarthy as Harambee Stars eye win against Chad in friendly rematch
Since taking charge, McCarthy has overseen three matches: a 2-1 loss to Gabon in a 2026 World Cup qualifier, a thrilling 3-3 draw against Gambia, and the goalless draw with Chad, who are ranked 177th globally.
Harambee Stars head coach Benni McCarthy faces mounting pressure as he prepares to lead his side into their fourth match since assuming the national team role in March.
Kenya is set to face Chad in a friendly match at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday in Morocco, just days after the Harambee Stars were held to a goalless draw by the same team in Marrakech.
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Since taking charge, McCarthy has overseen three matches: a 2-1 loss to Gabon in a 2026 World Cup qualifier, a thrilling 3-3 draw against Gambia, and the goalless draw with Chad, who are ranked 177th globally.
Despite showing promise in the fixtures, McCarthy is still chasing his first win as head coach. The goalless draw with Chad particularly frustrated fans given that Harambee Stars dominated the game but were wasteful in front of goal.
Speaking ahead of the friendly against Chad, McCarthy said he wants to win the match but emphasised that his focus is firmly on building a strong, competitive squad for the upcoming African Nations Championship (CHAN).
"I am trying to build a squad for Chan. It's a friendly game but of course I want to win, but I am also realistic," McCarthy said.
He added that he is using the friendlies to assess local talent and prepare a well-rounded team for CHAN since the tournament is exclusively for players competing in their domestic leagues.
McCarthy also cautioned against unrealistic expectations, noting that most of the selected players have only recently come together and are still adjusting to playing as a unit.
"Some of these players have not played together; they have been here for a couple of days and people expect them to win 5-0; it doesn't work like that. They have to get used to each other; they have to make the jump from playing in the Kenyan league to the international level," he said.
"I'm trying to select the best players for CHAN and that is what I'm doing. This is experimental; I want to be well prepared for CHAN and I want to have a good squad. That is what people have to understand; Rome wasn't built in one day."
McCarthy also reflected on the goalless draw with Chad, lamenting that his squad was wasteful in front of goal. He added that the intense heat in Marrakech also made it difficult for his players to maintain their intensity throughout the match.
"We had 60-70 percent of the possession but it was no use; we had so much possession but we didn't score goals. The conditions were extremely hot. When you play in 42 degrees and the players are not used to playing under the conditions. You could see the heat was affecting many players," he said.
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