Benni McCarthy: How Kenya Can Learn from South Africa to Build a Stronger Harambee Stars

Harambee Stars coach Benni McCarthy has revealed the one major aspect that Kenya can borrow from South Africa to improve the standards of the local leagues, which would in turn boost the national team.

At the World Cup qualifiers, Hugo Broos introduced a revolutionary selection policy, which prioritised locally based players, injecting youth and fresh energy into the squad.

Upon his appointment in 2021, Hugo Broos made the bold and sometimes controversial decision to discard many established international players who were based overseas, instead focusing on developing talent plying their trade in the domestic Premier Soccer League (PSL).

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The strategy was centred around building a team with a strong work ethic, high fitness levels, and a deep understanding forged from playing together frequently in the PSL.

Benni McCarthy reflected on his deep connection to Bafana Bafana, explaining that despite his full commitment to Kenya as a coach, he will always hold a special place for South Africa’s national team.

The former Manchester United coach emphasised that his experiences as a player with Bafana Bafana shaped his identity and career, and he continues to follow their progress closely.

Benni McCarthy also expressed pride in how the team has developed a robust national squad, uniquely relying on local talent competing in South African leagues, which he sees as a model for national team development.

“Oh, you know, as someone who has played for Bafana Bafana and holds many records for the country. But yeah, for it's my country, you know, like whether I'm 100% for Kenya and I give everything, but deep down inside, I will always support Bafana because that's where I became who I am, playing for Bafana,” Benni McCarthy told Sporty TV.

“I'm always looking out for them and seeing how they are progressing. And the thing that I'm most proud of is that they are one of the only countries that have a complete national team built up from local players who play in South Africa.”

Benni McCarthy praised the development and competitiveness of the South African League, emphasising that having all players based domestically provides a strong foundation for them to elevate their performances when representing the national team internationally.

The Harambee Stars coach explained that the league’s structure and the experience gained at the local level enable players to adapt to higher levels of competition, which he found highly inspiring.

Benni McCarthy also suggested that Kenya could learn from South Africa’s approach, implementing strategies to improve its own league by combining the growth of local talent with the exposure of international players.

He highlighted that this could help create a more competitive domestic environment, ultimately allowing Kenyan players to raise their standard and better compete on both continental and global stages.

“That shows that the South African League has progressed so much. That the league is competitive, the league is good, it's strong, and all the players are based in South Africa,” Benni McCarthy revealed.

“So, when they go to the international level, they can then raise their game and lift to compete against the international teams, and that's inspiring.

“So, you would hope that Kenya can also take from what South Africa is doing well, and we can implement it into our own system, into our own games, make our league a bit more competitive, so that we can also become competitive, having local players and international players.”

Benni McCarthy believes that by adopting South Africa’s model of developing and prioritising local talent in a competitive domestic league, Kenya can strengthen its league, cultivate a more cohesive Harambee Stars squad, and ultimately become more competitive on the continental and global stage.