Benni McCarthy pulls no punches on Kenya squad critics

Free-speaking Kenya national team coach Benni McCarthy has pulled no punches on his critics over his squad selection.

The Bafana Bafana legend has responded strongly to those who have punched holes in his Harambee Stars player- selection for the FIFA Series scheduled for Kigali in Rwanda from March 23 to 31.

HARAMBE STARS are in town ahead of FIFA Series friendlies.

Ikipe y’Igihugu ya Kenya yageze i Kigali aho yitabiriye imikino ya FIFA Series izatangira ku wa 27/03.

Gura itike yawe ntuzacikwe, uzanabashe gutsindira ibihembo bitandukanye.#FIFAseries2026#RwandaIsReady pic.twitter.com/skvOgTLdVx

— Rwanda FA (@FERWAFA) March 24, 2026

The former Manchester United strikers’ coach has notably ignored fan favourites such as Qatar-based Michael Olunga and Moses Shamah for Zambia’s Power Dynamos FC.

One such critic is AFC Leopards legend Reginald Asibwa who recently told Flashscore that McCarthy’s selection of unattached Australia-born midfielder William Lenkupae at the expense of in-form players raises serious selection questions.

Who has criticised McCarthy on squad selection?

Speaking the media in Kenya, McCarthy challenged his detractors, seemingly referring to some coaches in the Kenyan Premier League (KFL), to mind their business.

“I am not going to turn my back now on anybody because some coaches are crying,” the 2004 UEFA Champions League winner responded.

“They need to worry about the position where they are in on the log [table “” not found /]
and their teams. If their players are better than what we have selected then, yeah, they have a case. Up until then, I am here to be proven wrong, and I will stick to that.”

Bafana legend insists Harambee Stars door remains open but…

The Bafana Bafana all-time leading scorer insisted that the door remains open for standout KFL players, but he remains cautious on experimenting following Kenya’s 8-0 loss to Senegal in a friendly on November 18, 2025

“We are monitoring all the players in the local league and if you do well, we select you, but if we have players that play abroad and in a much stronger competition, why would you not select a player that plays in a stronger competition?” he said.

“You see, when you experiment then you get to a scenario where you go and play Senegal and the experiment doesn’t end well, and then who must face the music? Those coaches who are crying for their players because it was their players who were part of the team.”

McCarthy added: “I am the one that must answer for that and rightly so because I thought there was an opportunity to put them in the squad and unfortunately, the end result was not what we wanted.”

Know opponents for Kenya at FIFA Series in Rwanda

At the FIFA Series, Kenya will take on Estonia at Amahoro Stadium in Kigali on Friday, and the prospect of the second assignment hinges on the results of Rwanda versus Grenada outcome.

McCarthy wants to build a strong team ahead of the 2027 AFCON edition which Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania will host from June 19 to July 18.

Under the tutelage of the Bafana Bafana legend, the Harambee Stars have shown remarkable improvement in performance as they reached the knockout phase of the 2024 African Nations Championship on home soil.