Benni McCarthy believes Kenya can exploit the disruption caused by South Africa’s appointment of Pitso Mosimane when the two nations meet in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
The countries will face each other twice, with South Africa hosting the first match on 13 November 2026 before Kenya stage the return fixture on 17 November 2026.
McCarthy, who is preparing to take on his home country, says Mosimane and his players may need time to adapt to a new tactical approach and establish a clear understanding.
“As good as they are, we have seen them at the World Cup but whenever there’s a change of guard, it takes time for players to understand a new head coach,” McCarthy told onSporty TV.
“So, maybe the [change of coach] could have come at a better [time] for us because it will take a couple of games for South Africa to play the way Pitso wants to play.”
South Africa recently brought Mosimane back for a second spell as head coach. The experienced manager must now introduce his football philosophy while trying to secure results in the qualifying campaign.
McCarthy is familiar with the quality available to Bafana Bafana, but believes a change in the technical team can temporarily affect the understanding that has developed between players.
Kenya have already qualified automatically for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations because they are co-hosts alongside Uganda and Tanzania. McCarthy nonetheless wants the Harambee Stars to treat the fixtures seriously.
The matches will allow Kenya to build momentum and measure themselves against strong opposition before the tournament, while also giving Mosimane an early test during his second period in charge of South Africa.
McCarthy’s record with Kenya
McCarthy has been Kenya’s head coach since March 2025 and has overseen a combination of World Cup qualifiers and international friendlies.
During the World Cup qualifying campaign, Kenya drew 3–3 with Gambia and then suffered a narrow 2–1 loss to Gabon.
The Harambee Stars also recorded mixed results in their friendly matches against Chad. They drew 0–0 in one meeting before winning the next 2–1.
In June 2026, Kenya drew 1–1 with Lesotho and then followed that result with a convincing 4–0 victory in their next encounter.
McCarthy’s most notable achievement came at the August 2025 CHAN tournament, where he led Kenya to the quarter-finals.
The Harambee Stars topped their group after beating DR Congo, Morocco and Zambia 1–0, while also drawing 1–1 with Angola.
Their campaign ended in the knockout stage, when they were narrowly beaten by Madagascar.
