AFCON 2027 Qualifiers: Benni McCarthy backs Kenya to exploit South Africa coaching change

Kenya coach Benni McCarthy believes his side can take advantage of South Africa’s coaching transition when the two nations meet in their Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in November.

Harambee Stars and Bafana Bafana are scheduled to face each other twice later this year, with the back-to-back qualifiers forming part of Kenya’s preparations for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.

McCarthy, who is preparing Kenya for the tournament that will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, will come up against his home country in the qualifiers.

The former South Africa striker believes the change in leadership could give Kenya an opportunity, with players expected to need time to adapt to the methods of new coach Pitso Mosimane.

South Africa impressed during their recent World Cup campaign, but McCarthy says a change of coach can disrupt a team’s rhythm as players adjust to new tactical demands.

“As good as they are, we have seen them at the World Cup, but whenever there’s a change of guard, it takes time for players to understand a new head coach,” McCarthy told Sporty TV.

“It takes time to understand his philosophy, how he plays and what he wants to achieve.

“So, maybe the change of coach could have come at a better time for us because it will take a couple of games for South Africa to play the way Pitso wants to play.”

McCarthy, who previously worked as a first-team coaching staff member at Manchester United, is aiming to build a competitive Kenya side ahead of the 2027 AFCON tournament.

The November meetings will therefore carry significance for both teams, with Kenya seeking to make the most of home advantage and their familiarity with McCarthy’s approach, while South Africa begin adapting to Mosimane’s methods.

The two fixtures will also see McCarthy face the country he represented as a player, adding an extra dimension to an already important AFCON qualifying contest.