Mosimane warns Bafana Bafana not to underestimate McCarthy’s Kenya

Bafana Bafana coach Pitso Mosimane has urged his players to respect Benni McCarthy and Kenya before their two-match 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying tie.

South Africa host the Harambee Stars at Orlando Amstel Arena on Friday before the teams meet again in Nairobi on Tuesday.

Bafana Bafana have made a perfect start to their qualifying campaign, winning both of their Group D matches against Guinea and Eritrea to collect six points and move top of the section.

Kenya, meanwhile, have already secured their place at next year’s continental tournament as co-hosts alongside Tanzania and Uganda. That status means the Harambee Stars have no qualifying pressure, but Mosimane believes they remain a serious threat.

McCarthy, who has taken charge of Kenya, will be returning to South Africa and Mosimane expects the former striker to be determined to demonstrate his coaching credentials against his countrymen.

“You are mentioning Benni, but you know the personality and willingness to win,” Mosimane said.

“He has the personality of fighting in football for his name and work. You’ve also got to respect that he’s a good coach. He was coaching Manchester United, and that’s a dream of any coach in the world. He was coaching (Cristiano) Ronaldo, excuse me.”

Mosimane highlighted McCarthy’s achievements both on the touchline and during his playing career, including his success in the UEFA Champions League.

McCarthy remains the only South African-born player to have won the world’s biggest inter-club football competition.

“You’ve got to respect the level at which he has coached and played. None of us in the whole world (in South Africa) has got the gold medal of the UEFA Champions League,” Mosimane said.

“You’ve got to understand those facts that I am giving you, and what kind of person we are talking about in terms of the fight and winning at all costs in football.”

The fixtures come during a period of transition for Bafana Bafana under Mosimane, while McCarthy will be seeking to use his return home to challenge expectations surrounding his side.

Despite South Africa’s strong opening results and Kenya’s guaranteed place at the finals, Mosimane has warned that those factors should not lead his players to dismiss either McCarthy or the Harambee Stars.