2026 World Cup Qualifiers: Kenya coach Benni McCarthy defends team selection after Gambia defeat

Kenya head coach Benni McCarthy has addressed criticism over his team selection following the Harambee Stars’ 3-1 defeat to Gambia on Friday, a result that has cast serious doubt over their 2026 FIFA World Cup ambitions.

In response to the setback on home soil, McCarthy opted to recall his regular internationals, leaving several players from Kenya’s African Nations Championship (CHAN) squad on the bench. The move, however, drew scrutiny from fans and pundits alike.

Defending his choices, the former Bafana Bafana striker insisted that his starting line-up was the right approach and suggested that deploying local CHAN players could have led to a far heavier defeat.

“I will give you my honest assessment. If I played Omija and Sylvester and then played Bandi and Abud, we could concede 10. That is the honest truth,” McCarthy said, as per Mozzart Sport.

“That was CHAN, played by local players. This was a World Cup qualifier – played by the best players, playing in Europe’s best leagues. You cannot compare the two.

Acknowledging the challenges ahead, McCarthy described the experience as a learning curve.

“I have to be realistic also. It is a learning curve, and hopefully one day we will get there, but for these (World Cup qualifiers), no chance,” he added.

The Harambee Stars will look to bounce back when they host Seychelles at Kasarani Stadium on Tuesday.