Today marks exactly one year since South African football legend Benni McCarthy first walked out of the tunnel as the head coach of the Kenya national team.
Since taking charge of his debut match on 20 March 2025, the former Manchester United first-team coach has led the Harambee Stars through a period of transition and squad rebuilding.
His appointment, which followed the departure of the late Engin Firat, was met with massive expectations as Kenya looks toward co-hosting the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
McCarthy’s tenure began with a hyper introduction to African football in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against The Gambia played at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Abidjan.
The match was a six-goal thriller that tested the new coach’s resolve and tactical flexibility from the opening whistle.
The Stars found themselves in a precarious position early in the second half, trailing 2–0 after goals from Musa Barrow and Yankuba Minteh.
However, McCarthy’s side showed resilience clawing their way back into the contest through a Michael Olunga penalty and a sensational strike from Mohammed Bajaber.
Despite a late Gambian goal that seemed to snatch the victory, Kenya secured a dramatic 3–3 draw with a last-minute equalizer from William Lenkupae, ensuring McCarthy’s era began with a point.
The momentum from that debut was short-lived as the team faced a stern reality check just days later at Nyayo Stadium. Facing a Gabon side led by a clinical Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Kenya suffered a 2–1 defeat.
While Michael Olunga managed to find the net, Aubameyang’s brace exposed Kenya on the counterattack, marking a difficult home debut for McCarthy.
The subsequent months saw the coach experiment heavily, including a pair of friendlies against Chad in Marrakech. After a frustrating 0-0 stalemate in the first leg, McCarthy finally secured his first victory as head coach with a 2-1 win in the second match, providing a much-needed morale boost before the qualifying campaign resumed.
The turning point of the year came during the September 2025 international break, which brought both the highest and lowest points of the qualifying cycle.
A demoralizing 3-1 loss to The Gambia in Nairobi effectively extinguished Kenya’s hopes of reaching the 2026 World Cup, as defensive lapses allowed the visitors to race to a 3-0 lead by halftime. McCarthy was vocal about his frustration, citing unacceptable individual errors, yet his team responded with remarkable character just days later.
In a clinical display at Moi International Sports Centre, Kenya dismantled the Seychelles 5-0 with Ryan Ogam netting a brace.
Though the victory was a reprieve for the coach’s reputation, the damage in the standings was done as Kenya eventually finished fourth in Group F with 12 points, well behind group winners Ivory Coast and runners-up Gabon, officially exiting the road to 2026.
Amidst the qualifying heartbreak, McCarthy orchestrated a historic and unexpected run in the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN), which was held in August 2025 across East Africa.
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Despite a chaotic preparation period, McCarthy’s local-based squad defied the odds to top Group A. The highlight of the group stage was a 1-0 victory over heavyweights Morocco, where the Stars played with ten men for over 45 minutes after Crispine Erambo’s red card.
The team advanced to the quarterfinals, where they eventually fell to Madagascar in a heartbreaking 4-3 penalty shootout loss after a 1-1 draw.
This run remains a pillar of McCarthy’s first year, as it proved the depth of domestic talent and earned the team a significant cash bonus and praise from the highest offices in the land.
However, the most scarring moment of McCarthy’s first year occurred in November 2025 during an international friendly camp in Antalya, Turkey.
In a match that has been etched into the history books for all the wrong reasons, Harambee Stars suffered a staggering 8–0 demolition at the hands of Senegal.
The Lions of Teranga were ruthless, with Sadio Mané netting a first-half hat-trick and Nicolas Jackson bagging a brace as Kenya trailed 6-0 by the interval.
This result stands as Kenya’s heaviest defeat in 47 years, the worst since a 9-0 loss to Zambia in 1978 and the third-largest in the nation’s entire footballing history.
As he enters his second year, McCarthy finds himself in Kigali, Rwanda, preparing for the 2026 FIFA Series.
The focus has now shifted entirely to the 2027 AFCON, with McCarthy aggressively recruiting diaspora talent like Zak Vyner and Zech Obiero to bolster his ranks.
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Benni McCarthy record at Harambee Stars
Gambia 3-3 Kenya
Kenya 1-2 Gabon
Chad 0-0 Kenya
Kenya 2-1 Chad
Kenya 1-0 DR Congo
Angola 1-1 Kenya
Kenya 1-0 Morocco
Kenya 1-0 Zambia
Kenya 1-2 Madagascar
Kenya 5-0 Seychelles
Burundi 0-1 Kenya
Ivory Coast 3-0 Kenya
Kenya 0-1 Equatorial Guinea
Kenya 8-0 Guinea