Kenya coach Benni McCarthy gives honest assessment of Harambee Stars’ AFCON chances

Kenya head coach Benni McCarthy believes the Harambee Stars may need as long as a decade to build a team capable of realistically challenging for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title.

McCarthy, who is preparing Kenya for their upcoming Group D qualifying double-header against South Africa in November, has offered a frank assessment of the country’s current standing in African football.

The former Manchester United attacking coach believes Kenya still lack the resources and squad depth required to compete consistently with some of the continent’s established football powers, including Morocco, Egypt, Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal.

“Even if you were to pay me millions and millions of dollars to win AFCON, I don’t think Kenya has the resources and the team strong enough to compete with Morocco, Egypt, Cote d’Ivoire, and Senegal,” McCarthy said.

The South African coach stressed that his comments were not intended to undermine Kenyan football but rather to provide an honest assessment of the work required to close the gap between the Harambee Stars and Africa’s leading national teams.

“Kenya can win AFCON, but it’s highly unlikely we would have a chance to win. I’m not disrespecting anybody. I’m just being honest,” he added.

Kenya’s immediate focus, however, is not solely on competing for the continental title. The country will co-host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations alongside Uganda and Tanzania, providing an important opportunity to showcase the region while accelerating the development of football infrastructure and the national team.

McCarthy believes successfully staging the tournament should be the priority before Kenya begins to set its sights on challenging for the AFCON trophy.

“For us, the main objective is to host the tournament and make sure that the AFCON is a big success for Kenya, for Tanzania, and for Uganda,” he said.

The former Bafana Bafana star’s assessment highlights the scale of the task facing Kenyan football, but also points to a longer-term pathway for development.

With the 2027 tournament providing a major platform, McCarthy believes Kenya can use the experience to build a stronger football structure and gradually develop a squad capable of competing at the highest level on the continent.

For now, the Harambee Stars will continue their preparations for the November qualifiers against South Africa, while the bigger ambition remains to use the next few years to lay the foundations for a more competitive Kenyan national team.