Harambee Stars head coach Benni McCarthy has declared he is fully prepared and eager for a tactical showdown against Pitso Mosimane when Kenya and South Africa lock horns in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualification double-header this November.
The fixture follows the recent appointment of Mosimane who took over the reins at Bafana Bafana after Belgian tactician Hugo Broos stepped down after the FIFA 2026 World Cup in USA.
Despite the intense competitive nature of the match, McCarthy emphasized that mutual respect remains the foundation of his relationship with his long-time rival.
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“ I am genuinely happy for people when good things happen to them. When we face each other, there will be mutual respect.
He will likely congratulate me on my work with Kenya, and I’ll congratulate Mosimane on taking charge of the Bafana Bafana job,” McCarthy said during a press briefing on Wednesday afternoon in Nairobi.
“There is a deep mutual respect between us. He’s my senior, and we’ve been good friends since our playing days, constantly battling each other on the pitch and now from the touchline. We know each other very well,” he added.
For McCarthy, who is South Africa’s all-time leading international goalscorer, facing his home country presents an emotional test. However, the Harambee Stars boss left no doubt about where his focus lies
“South Africa is my home. It’s a beautiful country that I love and it will always have a special place in my heart. But right now, I’m coaching Kenya. My loyalty doesn’t lie simply where I was born, it lies with the team that believed in me, gave me an opportunity, and trusted me to take them in the right direction. That’s where my commitment is,” he noted.
While Kenya holds automatic entry as AFCON 2027 co-hosts alongside Uganda and Tanzania, the qualifiers carry immense weight for Mosimane’s Bafana Bafana squad as they navigate their group campaign, with South Africa hoping to secure the remaining non-automatic qualification spot.
McCarthy holds a narrow personal edge over Mosimane from their previous domestic battles in South Africa’s Premier Soccer League, claiming 4 victories to Mosimane’s 3 in their 8 competitive meetings during their respective tenures at Cape Town City and Mamelodi Sundowns.