Harambee Stars head coach Benni McCarthy has pledged to open doors for Kenya’s national team players to join elite European football clubs, highlighting his connections with Premier League sides as a potential pathway.
Appointed in early March, the former South African international brought with him an experienced backroom staff entirely composed of South African colleagues.
Despite having only a brief window to assess his squad before World Cup qualifying fixtures against Gambia and Gabon, McCarthy has been vocal about the quality and hunger he has witnessed within the Kenyan national team.
The 47-year-old, who won the UEFA Champions League with FC Porto and enjoyed a decorated playing career across Europe, including spells in Spain, Portugal, and England, is confident he can leverage his international reputation to benefit his new players.
“Once we settle in properly, if there are players who truly deserve a shot at a top club, it won’t be difficult for me to make a call,” McCarthy said, as quoted by Nairobiwire.com. “I can easily pick up the phone and reach out to a club like Nottingham Forest.”
He explained that his close relationship with current Forest manager Nuno Espírito Santo, a former teammate from his Porto days, could prove instrumental. “Nuno is a good friend. It would cost me nothing to say, ‘I’ve got someone special here, have a look.’”
McCarthy, who also served as a first-team coach at Manchester United before taking up the Harambee Stars job, spoke with enthusiasm about the mindset of his Kenyan squad.
According to him, many players are not only talented but also driven to pursue their dreams beyond Africa’s borders.
“There’s something exciting about these players,” he said. “They’re not afraid to step outside their comfort zones.
They believe in themselves and have the ambition to compete at the highest level.”
He added that this drive is exactly what he looks for in a footballer. “When you speak to them, they tell you about their goals.
They want to succeed not just for personal gain, but to elevate their profiles through the national team.”
McCarthy, a former striker for South Africa’s Orlando Pirates and coach of clubs like AmaZulu and Cape Town City, emphasized that success in international football is often the key to unlocking opportunities abroad.
“If you want to play in Europe, your national team performance must be your platform. These players understand that, and that’s why I’m so encouraged by what I’ve seen.”
While still early in his tenure, McCarthy’s approach signals a new direction for Kenyan football, one that aligns the ambitions of players with access to global opportunities.
With his European contacts and first-hand experience at the highest level of the game, the coach appears poised to turn words into action.
As he continues to embed himself in the Kenyan football landscape, his next step will be to identify those individuals who not only shine on the pitch but also possess the drive to thrive in foreign leagues.
And if McCarthy’s optimism is anything to go by, Kenya’s football future could soon stretch far beyond the continent.
