Kenya Coach Benni McCarthy Slams South African Players: "Their Ambition Is Very Low"
- Benni McCarthy criticized South African players for staying in their comfort zones instead of aiming higher in their football careers
- Bafana Bafana legend acknowledged that South Africa has many talented players but pointed out that some don’t aspire to compete with top European superstars
- The Harambee Stars coach emphasized the need for South African players to aim for more and challenge themselves at the highest levels of football
Benni McCarthy has hit out at South African players who remained in their comfort zone rather than aim higher in their football career.
The Bafana Bafana legend is the current manager of the Kenyan national team and recently managed them in their FIFA World Cup qualifiers against The Gambia and Gabon.
Harambe Stars pulled a comeback against The Gambia to draw 3-3, before their 2-1 home loss against Gabon in Nairobi.
Source: Twitter
McCarthy hits out at South African players.
According to GOAL, McCarthy was on an interview on NTV, and shared his thoughts about South Africa players who remained in their comfort zone and decide not to aim higher.
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The former Manchester United assistant coach admitted that South Africa have numerous talented players in the country, but some of them don't dream higher and compete with other superstars in Europe.
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"South Africa is filled with extraordinary talent, with players emerging from all corners of the country, but the drive to push for more is lacking," he shared on the TalkSport Show on NTV.
"When I was growing up in South Africa, my dream was to play for Manchester United. I set my sights on working relentlessly to reach that goal, and even if I didn't make it, I knew I could still face them on the pitch.
"That was a high ambition, and while it may not have been the absolute peak, it was certainly a challenging goal to strive for. In South Africa, the players are immensely gifted—they have the potential to go far—but they're content staying within the country's borders.
"They don’t seem eager to venture out, as they find comfort in their familiar surroundings. To me, that’s holding yourself back. If you want to be the best, you need to compete against the best.
"Facing world-class teams and players is how you grow. In South Africa, that opportunity is limited.
"Sure, our local league is competitive, but my point is, the ambition should be to challenge yourself. I want to play against the likes of Bruno Fernandes or face Kylian Mbappé in the Champions League. Staying in South Africa, that just won't happen," the former striker concluded.
What's next for Benni McCarthy as Kenya coach
Benni McCarthy is tasked with bringing back Harambee Stars to their best, and promised to deliver the 2024 CHAN title before stating that his main work.
The former South African international is working on delivery a good outing the country when they co-host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations alongside neigbouring East African countries, Tanzania and Uganda.
McCarthy explains why Kenya lost to Gabon in WCQ
Briefly News also reported that McCarthy explained why the Harambee Stars lost to Gabon on his first home game in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier in Nairobi.
Former Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang found the back of the net twice at the Nyayo National Stadium to give his team the deserved win over the Bafana Bafana legend-led side.
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Source: Briefly News
