CHAN 2024: Benni McCarthy Demands Elite Mindset From Harambee Stars Ahead of Morocco Clash

Harambee Stars coach Benni McCarthy has opened up about the struggle of playing with 10 players, noting that it was one of the toughest moments for him.

Following Marvin Nabwire’s red card in the 21st minute, Harambee Stars were forced to play with 10 players in their second CHAN 2024 group stage match against Angola.

Now, Benni McCarthy is treading carefully to avoid the same in their match against two-time champions Morocco, who silenced Angola 2-0 in their opening match at the Nyayo National Stadium.

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Benni McCarthy revealed the mental turmoil he underwent as he had to think smartly and ensure the players on the pitch were versatile, and for him, that is not something any coach wants to endure.

“No coach wants to master playing with 10 players, because it is exhausting to watch. But your brain has to constantly work because you have to find a solution: which player can do that job, which player can do a striker's job function and still defend,” Benni McCarthy revealed in the post-match press conference.

“So honestly, it's the worst to be a coach when you go 10 men down. Because you feel the pain for your players, the 10 men who are on the field. You feel for them because of the work that they have to do and the effort they have to put in.”

Benni McCarthy said that, for him, the most important thing was managing expectations, noting that anyone in the Harambee Stars squad needed to understand they had made it to the top.

The former Manchester United attacking coach emphasised that they were at the pinnacle of elite football and represented the best the country had to offer.

“You can't still be like a rookie, like someone who's never walked onto a football pitch before, someone who's never seen so many people in the stadium. And that's what my team is doing at the moment. And it's becoming costly,” he added.

Benni McCarthy expressed concern over the team's slow starts, pointing out that, just like in the match against DR Congo, they could have easily gone 1–0 or 2–0 down early on.

The South African native admitted he did not know when the team would learn from this and said it was something he and the technical team needed to address.

Despite this issue, he affirmed that the team had quality and ability, noting that even against 10 men, they still looked dangerous and capable of scoring.

“We didn’t make it easy for Angola. As much as they had such a big advantage with one player, moving the ball the way they did, we made it so difficult for them to get anywhere near our goals,” Benni McCarthy said.

“So these players can play, they are really good. But my God, they need to get over this fear factor for 45 minutes. It’s stressful, man.”

As Harambee Stars prepare to face Morocco, Benni McCarthy is focused on correcting previous mistakes and wants the players to approach the match with confidence, fully aware that they represent the best the country has to offer and must rise to that expectation.