Benni McCarthy criticizes chaos in Kenyan football

Benni McCarthy, head coach of the Kenyan national team Harambee Stars, has criticized the state of football in Kenya, describing the current environment as a ‘sinking ship.’ Speaking ahead of the AFCON 2027 qualifier against Eritrea, McCarthy stated that administrative chaos and operational issues are making his role significantly more difficult.

McCarthy noted that he must often ‘beg’ and ‘convince’ players to join the national team due to the instability within the sport. He highlighted that issues such as unpaid allowances, work-permit complications for staff, and general administrative dysfunction at the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) have made it difficult to recruit foreign-based and dual-nationality talent.