CAF president Patrice Motsepe has ramped up pressure on Bafana Bafana legend Benni McCarthy following his appointment as Kenya national team coach.
McCarthy was unveiled on Monday March 3, as the next coach of the Harambee Stars to much fanfare with high expectations that he will turn around the fortunes of the struggling East African nation.
Motsepe seems to share the same view as he has sent McCarthy a message, asking him to start winning quickly as that would be the only way the CAF boss will be impressed by his work.
“Benni is your coach? He is very lucky. I will only be happy when I see results. Tell him, I need results now,” Motsepe told Football Kenya Federation vice president McDonald Mariga in Cairo, Egypt on Tuesday, ahead of the 14th CAF Extraordinary General Assembly set to take place on Wednesday.
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Mariga is the man behind the appointment of McCarthy as he chaired the committee that searched for a new Kenya national team before settling on South Africa’s all-time top scorer.
McCarthy has already unveiled his first squad, having named a 48-man provisional team, set to hit camp ahead of Kenya’s 2026 World Cup qualifiers against The Gambia and Gabon on March 20 and 23 respectively.
The 47-year-old has vowed to ensure Kenya qualify for the 2026 tournament set to be staged in the United States, Canada and Mexico with Harambee Stars in fourth position in their World Cup qualifying group on five points from four matches.
Ivory Coast lead Group F with 10 points, Gabon second with nine, while Burundi complete the top three on seven points with six qualification matches still to go.
