Despite falling short and exiting the ongoing African Nations Championship (CHAN) at the hands of Madagascar on Friday night, South African-born coach Benni McCarthy and his PSL entourage will be proud of the work that they have done with the Kenya national team so far.
The Harambee Stars lost 4-3 on penalties after a tense 1-1 draw after extra-time at the Kasarani Stadium, to see their fairytale run in the CHAN end in the quarterfinals.
McCarthy did the unthinkable when he guided Kenya to the knockout stages by winning Group A ahead of DR Congo, Angola, Zambia and tournament favourites Morocco.
McCarthy has been cooking at the Harambee Stars alongside goalkeeper coach Moeneeb Josephs, performance analyst Pilela Maposa, and assistant coach Vasili Manousakis, who have all coached in the PSL.
The Harambee Stars won three matches, drew one, scored four goals, and conceded one in the group stages. They kicked off their campaign with a 1-0 win over two-time champions Congo and drew 1-1 against Angola with 10 men.
They then returned to winning ways when they beat Morocco, also with 10 men, before ending their preliminary matches with a 1-0 win against Chipolopolo.
“Nothing but proud of what we achieved. The players gave everything every single day in training and every match. It was good, but football is like that, the lottery of penalties sometimes doesn’t go your way,” McCarthy said after the game.
“We feel disappointed now, but when you look back and see what we achieved, topping the toughest group, today was just one hurdle too many.”
The former Manchester Uni-ted first-team coach has made significant progress with the Kenyan national team and has already forged a promising relationship with the fans, who have filled the Kasarani Stadium to the brim every time.
Upon his appointment as coach, McCarthy stated that one of his primary goals was to develop a strong team and elevate Kenya to the highest level.
“Our goal is to develop a strong team identity, play exciting football, and make the nation proud. I look forward to working with the players, the federation, and the passionate Kenyan fans to achieve success,” McCarthy said.
“I have studied the talent in this country, and I believe there is immense potential to compete at the highest level,” he added.
