Date set for Benni McCarthy's unveiling as new Harambee Stars coach
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Reading Time: 4min | Thu. 27.02.25. | 12:26
The 47-year-old jetted into the country early Thursday morning
Former Manchester United first-team coach Benni McCarthy is set to be unveiled as the new Harambee Stars head coach on Monday 3 March.
The Football Kenya Federation, in a Thursday afternoon statement, finally made it official that the unveiling of the new coach will take place at the KICC Pavillion from 1:45PM (EAT), in the presence of key FKF officials and stakeholders.
As first reported by Mozzart Sport, the general consensus is that South African McCarthy will take over the men’s national football team coaching duties.
With his initially planned Wednesday flight delayed, McCarthy jetted into the country early Thursday morning, and was pictured being received in Nairobi by FKF Vice President McDonald Mariga and NEC Member Abdalla Yusuf.
🚨🇿🇦 Bennie McCarthy arrived in Kenya on Thursday morning to take over as the Harambee Stars coach. Received by FKF VP and former midfielder @MarigaOfficial
— Eric Njiru ⚽️ (@EricNjiiru) February 27, 2025
[🎥@Silvakidole] pic.twitter.com/wKBgVvLmN0
McCarthy is set to fill the seat vacated by his predecessor Engin Firat, who resigned late last year after failing to land AFCON 2025 qualification.
McCarthy’s first job will be to oversee Harambee Stars’ 2026 World Cup qualifying matches against Gambia and Gabon next month.
The former Amazulu head coach, as per outlets, is rumored to include former South Africa custodian Joseph Moeneeb and Cape Town Spurs assistant coach Vasili Manousakis in his technical bench as goalkeeper trainer and assistant coach respectively.
Nairobi United head coach Nicholas Muyoti was on Wednesday 26 February also linked to a spot in McCarthy's bench, and it is believed that he has received FKF approval to assume the second assistant coaching role.
A source in the federation told Flashcore that Muyoti was "one of those who were targeted to come in as one of the assistants to support the new technical bench.”
With his impeding appointment, McCarthy will become the first South African to oversee the country's men's national football team, and the 36th different man to lead the side since 1961.
Who is Benni McCarthy?
Born 47 years ago in Cape Town, South Africa, McCarthy is regarded as one of the greatest Bafana Bafana footballers of all time.
As a striker, he played for clubs like Ajax in the Netherlands, Celta de Vigo in Spain, Porto in Portugal, Blackburn Rovers and West Ham United in England, and finished his career with the Orlando Pirates in South Africa.
McCarthy’s most successful stint as a player came during his time with Porto, where he won several trophies, including the 2004 UEFA Champions League under the guidance of Jose Mourinho.
Benni McCarthy🇿🇦: "I was at Porto in 2002 when José Mourinho arrived. I was in bad shape, but he told me: 'Benni, I've seen you play and you will be my guy'. He treated me like a son, so I couldn't let him down." pic.twitter.com/WkmG4T2Dk6
— IM🇵🇹 (@Iconic_Mourinho) February 26, 2025
His other accolades with Porto include two Primeira Liga titles, the Taça de Portugal, two Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira titles, and the Intercontinental Cup.
He transitioned into coaching in 2014, starting as a youth team coach at Scottish side Hibernian while assisting the senior team.
He then moved to Belgian club Sint-Truiden, initially as an intern and later as an assistant coach. It was at Sint-Truiden that McCarthy completed his coaching licenses.
In June 2016, McCarthy took over as head coach at Cape Town City FC in South Africa, where he is remembered for signing Kenya international Masud Juma.
He earned his UEFA Pro License while coaching AmaZulu FC. His first coaching trophy came in 2017 when he led Cape Town City to victory in the MTN Super 8.
McCarthy became head coach of AmaZulu FC in December 2020, leading them to a second-place finish in the Premier Soccer League—their best-ever league result—and qualification for the 2021-22 CAF Champions League.
Under McCarthy, AmaZulu reached the group stages of the Champions League before his departure in March 2022.
In July 2022, McCarthy joined Manchester United as an attacking coach, working with the team’s forwards until his two-year contract ended in July 2024.
Personal Life
McCarthy married Maria Santos, a Spanish national, in 2004, and they had three daughters: Minna, Mya, and Allegra. The couple divorced in 2007.
In May 2014, McCarthy married Scottish model Stacey Munro, and they have two children: a daughter, Lima Rose, born in 2012, and a son, Lio Romero, born in 2019.
