Bafana Bafana ready to tackle troubled Kenyans in key Afcon qualification clash

Detailed summary

Pitso Mosimane’s men take on a Kenyan team marred by administrative woes that have spilled over onto the field, as revealed by current Kenya coach and Bafana Bafana legend Benni…

Pitso Mosimane’s men take on a Kenyan team marred by administrative woes that have spilled over onto the field, as revealed by current Kenya coach and Bafana Bafana legend Benni McCarthy.

Bafana Bafana and Kenya meet in a 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualification double-header under contrasting circumstances.

While there is harmony within the South African camp after Pitso Mosimane took over a healthy team from Belgian Hugo Broos, Kenyan boss Benni McCarthy recently revealed the tough working conditions he has faced while coaching the Harambee Stars. Especially in recent months.

Although the Kenyans are already guaranteed to participate in the latest edition of the Afcon as one of the three co-host nations (alongside Tanzania and Uganda), the Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) rules mandate that even host countries must participate in the qualification process. The general status quo is that a host nation does not have to navigate through qualifiers.

Despite being already assured of a place in next year’s tournament, which is scheduled to take place from 19 June to 17 July, Bafana Bafana all time top goal-scorer McCarthy has come under immense pressure from Kenyan soccer fans in recent months. This amplified in the first round of qualifiers Kenya played.

The Harambee Stars lost 1-0 to Guinea, before being held to a 1-1 draw by Group D minnows Eritrea. This latter result particularly frustrated Kenyans. McCarthy, who has been coaching the Harambee Stars since March 2025, recently revealed that during the last international window his players had downed tools and refused to train.

This was because the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) had not paid the players allowances and bonuses, stretching across numerous international camps.

McCarthy and his technical team, which also features former Bafana Bafana goalkeeper Moeneeb Josephs, managed to convince the players to play the matches – but the results told the full story.

The players have since received some of the…

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