Bafana Bafana legend Benni McCarthy will work with an all-South African technical bench during his two-year stint as coach of the Kenya national team.
McCarthy’s highly-awaited unveiling took place on Monday after which it was revealed that he will work with his key allies being Vasili Manousakis as assistant coach, Moeneeb Josephs as goalkeeper trainer, and Pilela Maposa as performance analyst, all who have signed two-year contracts.
“After a rigorous selection process, we are confident that Benni McCarthy is the right person to lead our national team forward. His experience, vision, and commitment to developing Kenyan football align perfectly with our ambitions,” Football Kenya Federation president Hussein Mohammed said of the new technical team.
High expectations in Benni McCarthy’s team
“Alongside him, we welcome Vasili Manousakis as Assistant Coach, Moeneeb Josephs as Goalkeepers Coach, and Pilela Maposa as Performance Analyst. This team brings a wealth of expertise, and we believe they will instill tactical discipline, structure, and a winning mentality as we prepare for upcoming competitions.”
McCarthy also expressed confidence in his backroom staff who he is backing to help him bring success to the East African nation.
“I have studied the talent in this country, and I believe there is immense potential to compete at the highest level. Together with my coaching team, including Vasili Manousakis, Moeneeb Josephs, and Pilela Maposa, we are committed to building a structured, disciplined, and competitive squad,” said the former Manchester United first-team coach.
“Our goal is to develop a strong team identity, play exciting football, and make the nation proud. I look forward to working with the players, the federation, and the passionate Kenyan fans to achieve success.”
Coaching quartet worked together at Usuthu
South Africa’s leading scorer has chosen to work with his former assistants at AmaZulu when he experienced success as head coach during his 20-months with Usuthu.
Manousakis has joined him just days after leaving Cape Town Spurs, having been on the bench as they played Highbury in the Motsepe Championship last Friday, while Josephs, his ex-Orlando Pirates and Bafana Bafana team-mate, was with him in Nairobi during his unveiling.
All four were responsible for AmaZulu’s run to a second-place finish in the PSL in 2020-21, their best-ever, when they qualified for CAF Champions League the following campaign, and later made it to the group stages of the competition, before leaving Usuthu in March 2022.
Like McCarthy, Josephs has a tough job task of identifying Kenya’s first-choice goalkeeper as it is an an area they have struggled in with ex-coach Engin Firat alternating between Bryne Omondi and Patrick Matasi, who play in the local league, while another Kenyan-based custodian Farouk Shikalo and Richards Bay’s Ian Otieno have also laid claim on certain occasions.
