Club boss questions 'unprofessional' Benni McCarthy's commitment as Kenya coach, calls for the sacking of the ex-English Premier League and Orlando Pirates star

Former Orlando Pirates forward Benni McCarthy recently suffered an 8-0 defeat while in charge of Kenya against Senegal in an international friendly match played in Turkey.

It was the Harambee Stars' fourth-worst loss in their history and it increased pressure on the ex-Bafana Bafana star.

Already, pressure was mounting on McCarthy before the Teranga Stars disaster, as Kenya had been struggling for consistency under his tenure.

In the 15 matches he has been in charge, McCarthy has led his team to six wins, three draws and six defeats.

That run has offered little hope on him guiding the East Africans to a respectable campaign when they host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations together with neighbours Tanzania and Uganda.

Chairman of Kenyan Premier League side Kakamega Homeboyz Cleophas Shimanyula has raised questions about McCarthy's commitment to his job.

“It was a very painful defeat, we have never lost like this in a long time. We don’t deserve to lose like this, it was shameful,” Shimanyula said as per KickOff.  

“The coach was missing in training [the team left for Turkey], he was not around, and he only met the team in Turkey. Is the coach really committed to his work?  

“A coach who loves his job needs to stay with the players for a long time as possible. I was surprised the assistant coach took charge of training sessions before the team left. That was very unprofessional from McCarthy, he ought to have been around to prepare the team.  

“For now I propose that FKF go out and get a new coach. In my opinion, a local coach can do better. We need to trust a local coach and give him the required support, and a free hand to do his work.”

Soon after the massacre by Senegal, Football Kenya Federation president Hussein Mohammed hinted that heads could roll.

That leaves the future of McCarthy and his job under a cloud of uncertainty. 

For fear of embarrassment at home, the FKF might decide to take action now when there is still time to correct the Harambee Stars' shortcomings before the 2027 AFCON.

“Truth be told, today is a bad day in office,” Mohammed said.

“The results from today’s games are a wake-up call to us. To play and compete against the best in the world requires deliberate investment in a serious and professional technical team and player development programs.      

“We have no excuses. I apologise for these results. We shall fix it. We will review our policies, operational procedures and key performance indicators of all staff starting from the grassroots and working our way to all National teams."

McCarthy faces a mounting task to win over the trust of some Kenya fans again as they are becoming increasingly frustrated by the poor results. 

He knows that any long-term plans with the Harambee Stars hinge on him steering his team to winning ways.

The team is only expected to return to action in March 2026, provided they manage to secure international friendly matches. 

At the same time, Hugo Broos’ impending exit as Bafana coach after the 2026 FUFA World Cup has seen McCarthy’s name mentioned as a potential successor. 

That speculation risks pulling his focus in two directions as he weighs the possibility of returning home to lead Bafana.

It might leave him walking on a tightrope between stabilising his current role and entertaining interest from South Africa, should it be registered by SAFA.