Harambee Stars head coach Benni McCarthy will be unveiled on Friday this week as he is expected in the country on Wednesday.
Sources at the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) confirmed that all preparations have been finalized ahead of the former Manchester United Coach arrival.
“He is flying to Nairobi this coming Wednesday. Everything regarding his appointment has been completed, and we have tentatively scheduled his unveiling for Friday,” The sources who sought anonymity confirmed.
The South African coach was identified as the new national team tactician last year December, but the process of formalizing his appointment has been delayed.
However, the wait is nearly over, as the former he is expected to land midweek, with his unveiling set for the end of the week.
The appointment of McCarthy comes at a crucial time, with the World Cup qualifiers against Gambia and Gabon just around the corner.
Once officially appointed, McCarthy will immediately begin preparing the national team for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers.
“As the president mentioned earlier, Francis Kimanzi was only an interim coach. The new head coach will be in charge of the matches against Gabon and Gambia. After his unveiling, he will work alongside several identified local coaches to prepare for the games. We need to be ready to compete,” the source stated.
There is still uncertainty regarding whether McCarthy will also handle the CHAN tournament in August or if local coaches will take charge of those games.
The source clarified that a decision would be made later, as the immediate focus is the March international break.
Earlier this year, FKF president Hussein Mohammed reassured fans that the federation was committed to finding the best candidate for the national team.
Hussein emphasized the importance of getting the appointment right, especially considering the financial challenges FKF has faced with previous coaches.
“We have had issues with paying coaches in the past, and we don’t want to repeat those mistakes,” The FKF president noted.
