Abud Omar Shares Benni McCarthy’s Act of Kindness That Brought Unity Among Harambee Stars Players

Harambee Stars defender Abud Omar has opened up on coach Benni McCarthy’s man-management that has rubbed off well on the team since his appointment last year.

McCarthy has been lauded for bringing back belief and unity among the national team since becoming Kenya’s head coach in March 2025 and it was on full display at the 2024 African Nations Championships (CHAN 2024) when they emerged top from a difficult group.

Few gave Harambee Stars a chance of getting out of a Group A that had Morocco, DR Congo, Angola and Zambia but they finished top and sealed a place in the quarter-final, where they were knocked out on post-match penalties by Madagascar.

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The Kenya Police left-back says this was a result of the unity brought into the team by McCarthy especially when he stood with his team when they were subjected to poor treatment in Tanzania ahead of a regional tournament, which they boycotted, just before CHAN 2024.

“We would have reached the [CHAN] final not because we were so talented but because of unity,” Omar said on the Tiki Taka Show.

“The whole team, technical bench, I have never seen a team so united like that. If we say no is no, if we say yes, it is yes. It started when we were in Tanzania.”

“This is a coach who has worked at Manchester United, won the Champions League, how do you treat him like that? At least if you don’t respect us, respect him. Take him to a five-star hotel and his technical bench,” the defender said of the treatment they were subjected to in Tanzania.

“One thing about coach Benni, he cannot agree. If he stays in a five-star hotel, his technical bench and players must also be there.”

The defender then revealed another act of kindness from the Harambee Stars coach that endeared him to his players further last October.

“Recently, when we had played Burundi and Ivory Coast [in World Cup qualifiers], he [McCarthy] had been booked in business class on our way back home and his technical bench was in economy,” he added.

“He gave me that ticket and said he cannot sit there while his staff was elsewhere. That technical bench is so united which also made us so united.”

McCarthy has received praise from his players over the manner in which he has been treating them and the fact that selection under him is based on merit while professionalism and discipline is non-negotiable.

The Harambee Stars players will hope to continue learning from the South African legend as they work towards a better showing at the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations that will be hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.