Benni McCarthy’s Harambee Stars tenure under pressure from work‑permit issues and poor AFCON results

South African coach Benni McCarthy faces an uncertain future as Kenya’s Football Kenya Federation grapples with unpaid player allowances, a work‑permit crisis and a string of disappointing AFCON 2027 qualifying results.

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Benni McCarthy and his foreign technical staff have been working in Kenya without valid work permits for roughly 18 months, a situation that forces them to leave the country after each international camp and limits their ability to scout Kenya Premier League matches.

Kenya’s AFCON 2027 qualifying campaign has produced only one point from the first two matches – a 1‑1 draw with Eritrea and a 1‑0 loss to Guinea – followed by an 8‑0 defeat to Senegal and a 3‑1 home loss to Gambia, intensifying criticism of McCarthy’s tactics.

McCarthy has publicly accused the Football Kenya Federation of failing to pay player allowances, alleging that some players attended up to five consecutive camps without receiving promised funds, a situation he says contributed to a training boycott.

Former Harambee Stars head coach Jacob Mulee described the federation’s administrative problems as an almost insurmountable obstacle for any head coach, underscoring the systemic nature of the challenges McCarthy faces.

The next significant test arrives in November 2026 when Kenya will host South Africa’s Bafana Bafana twice in the AFCON 2027 qualifiers; the matches carry no qualification implications because Kenya is a co‑host, but they will be McCarthy’s first major fixtures while still unable to reside permanently in Kenya.

Whether the Football Kenya Federation decides to retain McCarthy may hinge on the outcome of those November fixtures and on its ability to resolve the work‑permit and player‑allowance issues that have undermined his tenure.