Benni McCarthy: Kenya sets nightmare AFCON 2027 target for Bafana legend

Bafana Bafana legend Benni McCarthy has been set a lofty target for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations by Kenya.

Kenya will co-host AFCON 2027 with East African neighbours Uganda and Tanzania between June and July next year after Confederations of African Football (CAF) maintained that the tournament will not be moved to 2028 as it had been reported.

As one of the host nations, Kenya feels the success of the tournament will depend on how far the national team goes as an early elimination could lead to fan apathy and therefore little or no fans in the stadiums.

That means McCarthy, who was appointed the Harambee Stars coach in March 2025, has to achieve something the country has never managed at AFCON before.

AFCON 2027 semi-final target for Benni

Kenya’s AFCON 2027 Local Organising Committee chairman Nicholas Musonye has made it clear that McCarthy’s team must be fully supported as he feels they have to reach the semi-final for a successful tournament.

“We will discuss with the Football Kenya Federation president on how the team will be prepared. As the LOC, we are concerned about the success of Harambee Stars,” Musonye told local radio Sporty FM as per Pulse Sports Kenya.

“AFCON is big, and we want our team to prepare well. We want the government to support our national team preparations so that we have the best team to contest and be in contention for winning, not just participating.”

“If the team stretches all the way to the semi-finals, it will make this competition very exciting,” the former CECAFA Secretary General further said.

McCarthy with different aim for Kenya

“Our target is to reach the semi-finals in the Africa Cup of Nations, and from there, we can plan how to reach the final. A semi-final place would stretch the competition to a level where everyone would be happy about it.”

However, Kenya have never gone past the group stage at all their previous six AFCON appearances in 972, 1988, 1990, 1992, 2004 and 2019 and McCarthy himself has made a Round of 16 his main target at next year’s tournament.

“I am praying that we don’t get a ‘Group of Death’ because that would really kill our chances,” McCarthy told Creamer Media TV last week. “If you are in a group with Morocco, Ivory Coast or Senegal, then ‘Group of Death’ because you know for a fact you don’t have that kind of quality and prowess,” he added.

“But if we are in a modest group, we can have a fighting chance and that is the first goal that we want to achieve, get out of the group and have the same impact we had when we played in the CHAN competition,” said the former Cape Town City and AmaZulu coach.

McCarthy has a contract with Kenya up to AFCON 2027.