Kakamega Homeboyz head coach Francis Baraza has criticized the decision by the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) to appoint South African legend Benni McCarthy as the new Harambee Stars head coach instead of giving a local coach the opportunity.
The former Harambee Stars defender believes Kenya has several qualified local coaches who could handle the national team effectively if given the chance.
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“They don’t trust us, local coaches. Every time a new regime comes in, they overlook us, and I don’t understand why. Our neighbours, Tanzania, have entrusted their national team to local coaches, proving that we have capable local coaches who can do the job just as well—if not better. The issue is simply a lack of trust,” said the former Biashara United head coach.
Baraza also questioned McCarthy’s qualifications for the role, arguing that his coaching experience does not justify handing him full control of the national team.
“The new coach they’ve appointed—where has he worked at a higher level? He was only a strikers’ coach at Manchester United, which is just one department. Now, he is being given an entire national team to manage. Meanwhile, we have experienced local coaches who, if given the opportunity, could do a better job,” he added.
McCarthy, who had a successful playing career in Europe and for the South African national team, previously coached Cape Town City FC and AmaZulu in South Africa before joining Manchester United as a specialist coach for forwards.
Harambee Stars is set to face The Gambia and Gabon in the upcoming international window, and Coach Baraza also expressed doubts about McCarthy’s ability to make an immediate impact in such a short time.
“We are set to face Gambia and Gabon in just a few weeks. What impact can the new coach have in such a short time? He will still be learning and rebuilding, which means he won’t be fully prepared. We should have given the role to a local coach who already understands the team dynamics. With proper support, a local coach would have delivered better results,” argued the Ex-Harambee Stars defender.
He pointed out that a local coach would have had an advantage in terms of familiarity with the players, as opposed to McCarthy, who will need time to assess and understand the squad.
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Baraza also raised concerns about the financial implications of hiring McCarthy, suggesting that the money being spent on a foreign coach could have been invested in local coaches to lead the national team
“The millions being spent on the new coach could have been used to support local coaches, who are also qualified and capable. I am not blaming anyone, but this country’s football leadership need to wake up. Our local coaches are educated and knowledgeable too,” he emphasized.
With Kenya set to co-host the CHAN tournament in August alongside Uganda and Tanzania the Kakamega Homeboyz head coach further pointed out that in short-term tournaments, where only locally-based players participate, a Kenyan coach would have had a better understanding of the talent available and could have identified the best players easily.
“For short-term tournaments like CHAN, a local coach would quickly identify the top talents. On the other hand, the new coach will need time to assess the players, and when he loses the first match, he will likely say he is still learning and getting to know the players,” he added.
His remarks highlight a broader debate on whether Kenya should continue hiring foreign coaches or invest in local talent for national team leadership. After the resignation of Engin Firat as the Harambee Stars Head Coach, Francis Kimanzi alongside Zedekiah Otieno and John Kamau was the ones tasked with handling the Stars on an interim basis and led the team in the Mapinduzi Cup in which Kenya was eliminated by hosts Zanzibar in the group stage.
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