Former Qatar and Egypt coach warns new Harambee Stars mentor McCarthy about Kenya - 'Benni must not expect the Man United training fields or even the Orlando Pirates training field'

Former Egypt national team head coach Roger De Sa has warned Benni McCarthy not to expect top-level training pitches as he begins his work as Harambee Stars' tactician.

According to De Sa, McCarthy should be ready to work on pitches that do not meet the standards of the English Premier League club Manchester United, where the former Bafana Bafana star worked before he came to Kenya.

While welcoming McCarthy's appointment, De Sa, a former Orlando Pirates and Ajax Cape Town coach, said the new Kenya tactician must be ready to work with below-par pitches but be ready to find a solution that works for him.

McCarthy was appointed as Kenya's head coach, taking over from Engin Firat, who resigned in 2024. His arrival has been met with renewed optimism by the Kenyan fans given his experience both as a coach and a player.

However, the availability of training facilities is one of the challenges the South African coach has to contend with.

Currently, Kenya's main facilities - Moi International Stadium in Kasarani and Nyayo Stadium at the city centre - have not been available as they have been under renovation. These are the two main facilities that Harambee Stars usually train in and host matches.

In fact, Kenya had to host its African Cup of Nations qualifiers against both Cameroon and Zimbabwe at Uganda's Nelson Mandela Stadium.

The last time Harambee Stars played at home was when they hosted South Sudan in an international friendly at Kasarani in September 2023.

“To get into the national structures is a massive step for Benni because national teams are very special, and I am very happy for Benni and that yet another South African is getting this opportunity,” De Sa told iDiski Times.

“So, Benni must not expect the Man United training fields or even the Orlando Pirates training field for that matter. He is obviously going to face challenges, and he’s got to be up for it and be ready to face the challenge. He must find the solutions and be ready to tolerate those and make the situation work for him.

“Sometimes you pick these players who come from a league in Qatar, for example, where they earn top money and train in top facilities, and then they come to Kenya and the field is below par. He has to get around those challenges, which are not always just football," the former Qatar and Egypt assistant coach added.

“The other challenge he is going to have to deal with is that it is different coaching a club and a national team. Your players are in different parts of the world, and you have to monitor their progress because it is not just about bringing them into camp for training and playing a match.

“You need to know where the players stand and how they are playing because sometimes you need to use him as a left-back, but at his club, they are using him somewhere else," he concluded.

McCarthy will make his debut as Harambee Stars head coach during the 2026 World Cup qualifier on March 20, 2025, against Gambia. The second game will be a qualifier against Gabon set to take place on Sunday, March 23, at Nyayo Stadium.

After naming his provisional squad for the two matches, the hopeful South African conducted training sessions with the available players.

Kenya are fourth in Group F with five points, where Ivory Coast lead with 10 points, Gabon are second with 9, and third-placed Burundi have seven.

Gambia are fifth with three points, while Seychelles, who have not won any games so far, are at the bottom.