Benni McCarthy has officially been named the new head coach of the Kenya national football team.
The 47-year-old has agreed to a contract with the Kenya Football Federation, which had been on the table since December.
Joining McCarthy’s technical team are former Richards Bay coach Vasili Manousakis and ex-South Africa and Orlando Pirates goalkeeper Moeneeb Josephs, who will serve as his assistant coaches.
Meanwhile, Pilela Maposa has been appointed as a Performance Analyst. The quartet has signed two-year contracts and is expected to bring a fresh approach to the national team setup as Kenya looks ahead to upcoming international fixtures.
McCarthy’s first assignment will be leading Kenya in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, starting with an away clash against Gambia, followed by a home fixture against Gabon.
The exact dates and venues for these matches are yet to be confirmed. With Kenya currently sitting fourth in Group F on five points—five behind leaders Ivory Coast—these upcoming games will be crucial in their quest for a historic first-ever World Cup appearance. Six qualifiers remain in their campaign.
McCarthy takes up this role roughly nine months after departing Manchester United, where he was part of Erik ten Hag’s coaching staff.
His previous managerial experience includes stints at Cape Town City and AmaZulu, where he remarkably guided the latter from a relegation battle to a second-place finish in the 2020-21 Premier Soccer League season.
As a player, McCarthy enjoyed a distinguished career, most notably winning the UEFA Champions League with Porto—making him the only South African international to achieve that milestone.
His tally of 31 goals for Bafana Bafana remains an all-time record.
