- The Kenya national men’s football team head coach Benni McCarthy has divulged that he does not force his players to take penalties after Harambee Stars’ defeat to Madagascar.
- Kenya suffered a 3-4 penalty shoot-out loss to Madagascar after the two countries played to a 1-1 draw.
- McCarthy has also offered the main reason Austin Odhiambo did not play against the Barea.
Why did Harambee Stars defenders take penalties in the heart-breaking CHAN quarter-final defeat to Madagascar? Why not the forwards? Those were the questions in the minds of most Kenyan football fans after becoming the first co-host to exit the tournament. The team’s head coach Benni McCarthy has provided the main reason he allowed the likes of Alphonce Omija and Michael Kibwage to feature in the shoot-out, disclosing his rare hands-off strategy to player selections when it comes to high pressure scenarios.
Harambee Stars boss Benni McCarthy on why defenders took penalties
Speaking during the Kenya vs Madagascar post-match press conference, McCarthy declared that he does not force his players to participate in penalty shoot-outs, sparking a debate concerning his coaching philosophy.
“And, also, I don’t force people to take penalties. Yesterday in training we did penalty shootouts. So, when you get to this stage and players develop a certain seizure for taking penalties in front of the environment, then I am not that kind of coach that forces people to go.
I take the ones that are confident enough to take and if you miss, that is my responsibility because I give them the choice to take or not to take. That kind of pressure moment is not for everyone. You guys would never experience that because you don’t know what it is like to be there,” he stated.
Bet on today’s matches on SportPesa and win instantly!
McCarthy explains decision to bench Austin Odhiambo
McCarthy, who has done marvelous work since taking the Harambee Stars job earlier this year, further revealed why skillful midfielder Austin Odhiambo did not feature in the game where Madagascar came from behind to stun Kenya at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani Stadium.
According to the man who won the UEFA Champions League title with FC Porto as a player, it was purely a tactical decision.
“I thought the way we set up was really good, solid, because we wanted to dominate in the midfield. Marvin at his club is playing as an eight going forward and Alpha, also very attack minded, Manzur set.
And yeah, you saw even with a really strong team, how quick, how much they wanted to work. How much they were chasing and I just felt the match was going the way we set it up,” explained McCarthy.
Harambee Stars fixtures after CHAN 2024 shocking exit
The Kenya soccer team players are expected to take a few days rest following their CHAN quarter-final exit before returning to training.
Harambee Stars, who have never qualified for a FIFA World Cup tournament, will play Gambia in their next qualification match for the 2026 edition that is set to be staged in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Although McCarthy will have the freedom to include foreign based players in the provisional squad for the Kenya vs Gambia match, he is likely to keep some of the stars who performed well in the CHAN tournament including Ryan Ogam, Alpa Onyango and Bryne Omondi. The Kenya vs Gambia clash will take place at the Kasarani Stadium on Friday, August 5, 2025. After that match, Harambee Stars will play Seychelles in another FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier on September 9.
ALSO READ: Kenya vs Madagascar: Harambee Stars suffers painful CHAN defeat as Barea shines in penalties