• FOOTBALL

• Frank Rotich 4 days ago

Why McCarthy is building a team and it is not just about results

One year into his tenure, Benni McCarthy is not measuring success by scorelines alone but by something less visible and arguably more important: structure, belief, and a changing culture within Harambee Stars.

While results have fluctuated, the South African tactician has quietly been reshaping the foundations of Kenya’s national team, focusing on long-term identity rather than short-term wins.

Speaking after Kenya’s recent FIFA Series campaign in Kigali, McCarthy painted the picture of a team still under construction one learning how to compete, respond, and grow under pressure.

Instead of dwelling on outcomes, he pointed to how the team reacts in moments of adversity. The heavy defeat to Senegal, for instance, is no longer viewed internally as just a loss, but as a diagnostic moment that exposed gaps the team needed to address.

“We had to understand where we are and what it takes to reach the top level,” he implied in his reflection signaling a shift from reaction to reflection within the squad.

Perhaps the clearest sign of McCarthy’s approach is his trust in new faces. Over the past year, he has expanded the player pool, giving opportunities to lesser-known talents who are now beginning to establish themselves on the international stage.

The recent 3-0 win over Grenada, which secured a third-place finish in Kigali, offered a glimpse of that evolving core: players playing with freedom, cohesion, and growing confidence in the system.

Rather than relying solely on established names, McCarthy is building internal competition—something Harambee Stars have often lacked in previous cycles.

Beyond tactics and personnel, the biggest shift may be psychological. Kenya’s national team has long struggled with consistency, but McCarthy is working to instill resilience ensuring that one bad result does not define the group.

The response after the Estonia loss on penalties and the earlier Senegal defeat suggests a team beginning to reset quicker and respond stronger.

That mindset, he believes, will be crucial as Kenya eyes bigger stages ahead, including upcoming continental competitions.

McCarthy’s first year may not yet be defined by silverware, but it is increasingly defined by direction.

In a football environment often driven by immediate results, his approach signals patience building a team capable of sustained competitiveness rather than isolated moments of success.

For Harambee Stars, the story under McCarthy is still being written. But one year in, the blueprint is becoming clearer: fix the foundation first, and the results will follow.