Benni McCarthy says Kenya coaching staff are still unpaid ahead of South Africa ties

Benni McCarthy says he and his technical staff remain unpaid by the Football Kenya Federation after Kenya players went on strike during their latest camp.

The former Bafana Bafana forward, who became Kenya head coach in March 2025, said he expects FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to intervene if the dispute is not resolved.

McCarthy works alongside fellow South Africans Vasili Manousakis, Moeneeb Josephs and Pilela Maposa as assistant coach, goalkeeper coach and performance coach respectively.

Speaking to internet channel SportyTV, McCarthy said players had received some outstanding salaries and bonuses after refusing to train, but members of the coaching staff had received nothing.

“Nobody wants to come to camp and then you go on strike because players, coaches and technical staff haven’t been paid,” he said.

“Salaries, bonuses and allowances from three, four camps ago, already. And now, still, in every camp you come and people [haven’t been paid].”

Kenya opened their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign in late September and early October with a 1-1 home draw against Eritrea and a 1-0 defeat by Guinea.

They then drew 0-0 with Rwanda in Kigali in a friendly during a camp when the squad barely trained because of the dispute.

“We [went on] strike for almost the whole camp, in which we had one training session and I had to convince the players to train the day before the Eritrea game,” McCarthy said.

He added that the players completed a captain’s run and a one-hour session which was “really only a walk-down”, but he would not allow them to boycott the match.

“I convinced them to train the day before the game and play on the match day, where we did really well for a team that had not trained [fully] for one day,” he said. “We didn’t get the win but we drew and missed 10, 15 opportunities.”

McCarthy said the situation was similar before the trip to Guinea, with players waiting for clarity before receiving allowances “in dribs and drabs” following pressure on the federation and ministry.

“But yeah, the technical staff, still nothing [paid],” he said.

Kenya, ranked 114th by FIFA, face South Africa at Orlando Stadium on Friday at 18:00 before the sides meet again in Nairobi on Tuesday. The matches are in Group D of the Afcon qualifiers.

As co-hosts with Uganda and Tanzania, Kenya are already guaranteed a place at the 2027 tournament and are using the qualifying matches for experience and competitive preparation. One of South Africa, Guinea and Eritrea will qualify from the group.

McCarthy said his priority remained his work with the national team.

“My job is always to go there and leave Kenya in a better position than I found them,” he said. “The authorities will come good and they will have to pay. Because obviously FIFA and CAF will intervene in these situations.”

“We are professional enough that when we go there we do our jobs.”