McCarthy sees opportunity for Kenya in Mosimane’s Bafana transition

Kenya head coach Benni McCarthy believes South Africa’s change of manager could give the Harambee Stars an advantage when the teams meet twice in November in the AFCON 2027 qualifiers.

McCarthy will face his home country as Kenya prepare for their first Africa Cup of Nations campaign as co-hosts, alongside Uganda and Tanzania.

Pitso Mosimane has returned for a second spell in charge of Bafana Bafana, and McCarthy believes the South African players will need time to adapt to their manager’s methods and expectations.

That adjustment period could provide Kenya with an opportunity when the two sides play back-to-back matches later this year.

“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 said on 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.”

Mosimane began his second spell with a victory on Saturday, when Bafana Bafana beat Guinea in their opening AFCON 2027 qualifier at the Orlando Amstel Arena.

The win put South Africa on three points in Group D, which also includes Kenya and Eritrea.

Kenya are already certain to take part in next year’s tournament because they are one of the three host nations. However, their qualifying fixtures remain significant because the results will help determine which of the other teams secures the group’s remaining qualification place.

The two sides will meet twice in November, creating a notable reunion for McCarthy, a former Bafana striker who is now in charge of Kenya.

Those games will also give Mosimane further evidence of how quickly his new-look South Africa team can absorb his approach after his return to the national side.

McCarthy believes the process of putting those ideas into practice may leave Bafana Bafana vulnerable while the players become familiar with their new manager’s philosophy.