McCarthy rings war bells as Kenya take on South Africa

Head coach Benni McCarthy has stated that he will put his emotions aside when he leads Harambee Stars against his home country South Africa, in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers on Friday.

Despite being South Africa's all-time leading goalscorer and a national football legend, McCarthy emphasised that his professional loyalty now belongs strictly to Kenya.

“The emotions died the day I hanged up my boots, so now it's just memories for me. It was good memories, it was a good time. I'm not expecting people to applaud or cheer or whatever because what happened in the past happened in the past.

“Now I'm going to be facing their team, their players, and I'm on the opposite dugout. So, I'm not expecting, you know, anybody in the stadium tomorrow to cheer for me or for my team because we're going to be looking to beat their team,” said McCarthy in a press conference on Thursday.

The first leg will be played at Orlando Stadium in Johannesburg today from 7PM with the return leg billed for Nyayo Stadium in Nairobi next Tuesday.

Despite Kenya qualifying automatically as tournament co-hosts alongside Tanzania and Uganda, McCarthy warned that every player must work to earn their spot.

“For us because we're going to be there in the AFCON irrespective of the result, but maybe not for every player. So if you don't perform, if you don't show what you've got, you're not guaranteed that you're going to have a place in the squad. So everybody knows whoever gets selected, whoever gets an opportunity, they've got to give the best of themselves because you're only as good as your last game.

“… you remember the wonderful performances and those performances at the end of the day when you come to selecting, as for a coach, you look at the players that stood tall and the players that performed and the players that fought and gave everything,” he added.

The former Manchester United first-team strikers coach added that his past meetings against his South Africa counterpart Pitso Mosimane have always been David versus Goliath affairs and Friday’s clash will be no different.

“Coach Pitso has always had the upper hand because he has always been at places that had the infrastructures and the best of everything.”

“And for me, you know, as a young coach, I always just tried to give my best and stay true to myself. Go out there and try and play the best way that I can, that can make it difficult for whoever you're up against, and sometimes we were fortunate.

“And on other occasions, we weren't as fortunate. So tomorrow is another one of those cases. It’s David versus Goliath, and unfortunately, I seem to be always David, I’m never Goliath,” he quipped.

South Africa top Group 'D' on six points after winning their opening two Group D matches against Guinea and Eritrea while Kenya have a single point from their matches in September.