As Kenya prepares to co-host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) alongside Uganda and Tanzania, Harambee Stars head coach Benni McCarthy has made his ambitions clear.
The South African legend is not just looking to participate but wants Kenya to finally break its long-standing group stage barrier.
For a nation that has featured at AFCON six times without ever progressing beyond the group phase, 2027 represents more than just another appearance.
It is an opportunity to rewrite history on home soil. And for McCarthy, the mission begins with one realistic but bold objective: reach the knockout stages.
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However, the former Bafana Bafana striker is under no illusion about the scale of the challenge. His biggest concern? The draw.
“I am praying that we don’t get a ‘Group of Death’ because that would really kill our chances,” McCarthy said in an interview with Creamer Media Tv.
“If you are in a group with Morocco, Ivory Coast or Senegal, then ‘Group of Death’ because you know for a fact you don’t have that kind of quality and prowess.
“But if we are in a modest group, we can have a fighting chance and that is the first goal that we want to achieve, get out of the group and have the same impact we had when we played in the CHAN competition.”
It is a candid admission from a coach who understands both the strengths and current limitations of his squad. McCarthy is not promising miracles; instead, he is calling for balance a fair draw that gives Kenya a genuine shot at competing.
His optimism is partly drawn from the team’s performance at the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN) which served as a dress rehearsal for AFCON.
Kenya impressed during the group phase, reaching the knockout rounds for the first time in their CHAN history. That campaign, McCarthy believes, should serve as the blueprint.
“That (Round of 16) would be a good starting point, a success for us, but beyond that is anyone’s guess. I just want to make a difference. When you leave there, people would believe more in their football like they do in athletics,” he added.
McCarthy’s vision goes beyond results. He wants to elevate football’s status in a country where athletics has long dominated the sporting identity.
“Athletics is like a religion for Kenyans, but I want football to become on par with athletics because there are some football talents and hopefully, me and my team can achieve that because the people believe and are backing the national team.”
With the 2027 AFCON set to be the first ever co-hosted by three nations and the first in the CECAFA region in five decades, the stakes could not be higher.
For McCarthy, success will not necessarily be lifting the trophy, it will be guiding Kenya out of the group stage and sparking belief in a sleeping giant of East African football.