FIFA World Cup Qualifiers: Harambee Stars Face Slim Chances as Benni McCarthy Reflects on Missed Start

Benni McCarthy believes Kenya would be further along in their 2026 World Cup campaign had he taken charge from the start.

Harambee Stars are gearing up for a clash against The Gambia and Seychelles, and they have to give their all if at all they are to feature at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Kenya is in Group F of the qualifiers, alongside the Ivory Coast, Gabon, Burundi, The Gambia and Seychelles. Seychelles has since been eliminated from the World Cup, and The Gambia cannot qualify directly, but they have a chance to advance to the second round.

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Kenya are fourth on the table, and for them to qualify directly, they have to finish on top of the table. The runner-up could potentially compete in the second round to advance to the inter-confederation play-offs.

With four matches to go, Harambee Stars will have to grab all 12 points, but there is no guarantee that they will make the cut.

Benni McCarthy admitted that taking charge of Harambee Stars after four matches had already been played was a major setback.

He disclosed that if he had started with them from the beginning of their campaign, they would be far ahead in terms of points. Now, they have to put in extra effort and adapt to a new style of play, but there is no guarantee that it will yield the desired results.

“I think most definitely yes, I think for every coach, when you start a campaign from the beginning, you get to implement your style of play and what we did,” Benni McCarthy said in an interview with the media.

“I had a little bit of time during the CHAN competition, and what a team, what we were able to achieve, and so yeah. I think when you start with four games already gone and you didn’t get the maximum points that you wanted, it puts you a little bit on the back foot.”

The former Manchester United coach added that getting time with the players ahead of the African Nations Championship (CHAN 2024) made the difference, and that is how things would have been in the World Cup qualifiers.

He disclosed that the decision to include more local players in the squad is to ensure that they get the international experience to improve the standard of the local leagues.

Benni McCarthy further emphasised that it will also ensure the squad is well-prepared ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations and 2030 World Cup.

“It is what it is, and we want to make use of the four remaining matches, and I want to bring a lot of local players so they can get the international experience, so we can be ready for preparations for the next World Cup,” he added.

“Chances now are slim to none because we have four games, we can get 12 points to take us to 18 points, but it depends on what Ivory Coast and Burundi will get because they are ahead of us.”

While Benni McCarthy admits Harambee Stars face an uphill battle to reach the 2026 World Cup, he remains focused on using the remaining qualifiers to build a stronger and more experienced squad capable of competing not just now, but for the 2027 AFCON and the road to the 2030 World Cup.