With Benni McCarthy on the verge of being unveiled as Harambee Stars head coach, the Siya crew speaks to Football Kenya Federation about his upcoming appointment.
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After leaving Manchester United at the start of their campaign in England, the Cape Town native is now on the cusp of leading his own technical team once again, this time with Kenya's national football team.
The 47-year-old's contract at Old Trafford was not renewed, having served as one of the assistants to Erik ten Hag for two years. Then there was much speculation as to where Bafana Bafana's all-time top goalscorer would end up next, but now it is clear that he will be undertaking a new adventure, in East Africa.
A source close to the negotiations has revealed that discussions with the former AmaZulu mentor had been ongoing for a significant time and that he could have been announced as early as last month, but there were issues pertaining to his work permit—a challenge that has now finally been sorted.
The Siya source also indicated that the former FC Porto and Blackburn Rovers striker is believed to have been handed a competitive contract with Kenya.
Soccer Laduma also spoke to FKF Head of Communications Media, Jeff Kinyanjui about McCarthy's agreement with Harambee Stars.
"The coach will be officially unveiled on Monday and details (of his contract) will be out (then)," Kinyanjui told Soccer Laduma.
"Benni (McCarthy) is a high profile coach and we are happy to have him. We are looking forward to having him help us become a superpower in Africa and beyond.
"The new Football Kenya Federation administration is eager to improve the standards of football in Kenya, and the senior National Team is one of the key assets. Therefore, getting Benni to manage Harambee Stars is a step in the right direction," Kinyanjui concluded.
A second insider in Kenyan football stated that McCarthy's immediate task will be to help his new side navigate their upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Gabon and Gambia.
"The good thing is the appointment of McCarthy has been received with a lot of positivity, they know what he achieved at Porto in the Champions League and his stint at Manchester United. Everyone is quite happy to see McCarthy coming in, even yesterday at the airport there were traditional dancers to greet him so you can see how important it is. The positivity is there and people are looking forward to see what he is going to achieve," said the second insider.
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After playing their final Africa Cup of Nations home qualifier in Polokwane recently, and also travelling for fixtures in Malawi, the Kenya team will finally return to the nation's capital, Nairobi, for their home match against Gabon, following renovations to the Nyayo National Stadium.
Seeing the Harambee Stars back home with new coach McCarthy at the helm promises to be a special occasion against Gabon on 24 March.
