Kaizer Chiefs legend Doctor Khumalo has lauded Benni McCarthy’s foray into international football, saying it is good marketing for South African coaches.
McCarthy was unveiled as Kenya national team coach on Monday March 3, 2025, beginning a new chapter in his young coaching career that has seen him handle Cape Town City, AmaZulu and also work at Manchester United as the club’s attacking coach.
The Bafana Bafana legend has taken on a massive challenge as the East African nation has been struggling for many years and failed to qualify for the last three Africa Cup of Nations while a maiden World Cup ticket appears gone.
Doctor thrilled by Benni’s new job
However, Khumalo is thrilled that McCarthy has joined a list of South African coaches who have opted to test themselves abroad.
“There is a [WhatsApp] group that we’re on, and Benni mentioned that there is a possibility of him signing with Kenya after he had been invited in the country last week,” Khumalo said on Soccer Zone.
“I’m happy to see coaches going outside South Africa and he’s not going to a club but a national team. That on its own is big because he’s putting our football on another level. Pitso Mosimane has done that, and Rulani [Mokwena] has also done that.”
Which other SA coach is working abroad?
McCarthy has backed himself to wake up the ‘sleeping giant’ that is Kenya and he can endear himself further to the fans and market South Africa even more if he leads them to success.
His first assignment will be the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against the Gambia and Gabon on March 17 and 24 respectively.
The 47-year-old has joined Wydad Athletic’s Rulani Mokwena, Philadelphia Union’s Bradley Carnell, Fadlu Davids at Tanzanian giants Simba, Botswana’s Morena Ramoreboli as South African coaches working abroad while Pitiso Mosimane, who previously worked in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, left Iran’s Esteghlal in January.
