Bafana Bafana Legend Benni McCarthy Melts Hearts with Emotional Birthday Message to His Daughter
- Benni McCarthy warmed hearts online after celebrating his daughter Lima’s birthday with touching family photos
- The former Manchester United coach received reactions from fans, close friends and members of his family on Instagram
- McCarthy continues to balance his growing coaching career in Kenya with his role as a devoted family man
Kenyan national football team head coach Benni McCarthy celebrated his daughter’s birthday with a sweet post on social media on Friday, 8 May 2026.
Source: Instagram
The Bafana Bafana legend, South Africa’s all-time leading international goal scorer with 31 goals, is still the only South African to lift the UEFA Champions League, which he won with FC Porto in 2004.
He often marks his family’s special milestones, including birthdays and anniversaries. On Friday, he shared a heartfelt message on Instagram:
“Happy birthday to my beautiful daughter Lima. Hope you have the best day. Love you loads.”
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The caption was accompanied by lovely snaps of Lima, with some showing her playing hockey and another capturing her putting on make-up.
South Africans joined in celebrating McCarthy, who was recently honoured by former English Premier League club Blackburn Rovers. His wife, Stacey, was among those who reacted to the post, while his son, Lio, also dropped a heart emoji.
Fans also shared their birthday wishes:
@dontaylor:
“Hooray hooray. Let’s go.”
@odwastephen:
“Birthmate, enjoy your day.”
@damo:
“Happy birthday, Lima.”
Benni McCarthy's family life
McCarthy has built a strong family life with his wife, Stacey Munro. Born and raised in Edinburgh, Scotland, Stacey grew up with dreams of working in fashion, modelling and beauty, later realising those ambitions after being crowned Miss Edinburgh.
The couple share two children: 13-year-old daughter Lima Rose and five-year-old son Lio Romero. McCarthy is also father to three daughters, Mina, Mya and Allegra, from his previous marriage to Spanish ex-wife Maria Jose-Santos.
Source: Instagram
Benni McCarthy's coaching journey
Since retiring in 2013, McCarthy earned his UEFA coaching badges before returning to South Africa in 2017 to coach Cape Town City, where he won the club’s first major trophy, the MTN8.
He later joined AmaZulu in 2020, guiding them to a historic second-place finish in the league. In 2022, his career reached a major milestone when Erik ten Hag appointed him as part of Manchester United’s technical team as a striker’s coach, a role he held until mid-2024.
McCarthy later took on a new challenge in Nairobi in early 2025 as head coach of Kenya’s Harambee Stars. Within months, he led the team to their first-ever knockout stage appearance at the African Nations Championship (CHAN), co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
McCarthy breaks the silence on being betrayed
Briefly News earlier reported that McCarthy opened up on how he was betrayed by someone within a Premier Soccer League club.
The former Manchester United assistant manager has worked in the South African league with two different clubs and was recently linked with Orlando Pirates.
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Source: Briefly News
