Benni McCarthy Celebrates Son Lio's 7th Birthday With Heartfelt Instagram Post
- Bafana Bafana legend and Kenya head coach Benni McCarthy marked a special family milestone on 7 August 2026
- McCarthy shared a touching birthday tribute to his son Lio on Instagram, calling him his prince
- The post drew warm attention from South Africans who have long adored the football icon
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Benni McCarthy, the Bafana Bafana legend and current head coach of Kenya, paused from football to celebrate a very personal moment. On 7 August 2026, he took to Instagram to wish his son Lio a happy seventh birthday.
Source: Facebook
The post, shared under his handle bennimac17, featured a carousel of images and carried a message straight from the heart. "Happy 7th Birthday to my prince Lio," McCarthy wrote.
"Love you very much, my boy."
A football icon's softer side
McCarthy is best known for his remarkable career on the pitch. He won the UEFA Champions League with Porto in 2004 and remains one of South Africa's most celebrated footballers, holding the record as Bafana Bafana's all-time top scorer. More recently, he served as a coach at Manchester United before taking on the Kenya national team head coaching role.
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But moments like this one remind fans that behind the trophies and the tactics is a father deeply proud of his family. The birthday post gathered over 1,200 likes and dozens of comments, a reflection of just how warmly South Africans feel about the man they consider a national treasure.
Little Lio turns 7
McCarthy's affection for his son was clear in every word of the post. Calling Lio his "prince" and signing off with three kisses, the tribute was simple but full of warmth. It was the kind of birthday message that resonated with parents everywhere, not just football fans.
As seen in the post below on Instagram.
McCarthy and his wife, Stacey, share two children: 12-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 José Santos.
Since retiring in 2013, McCarthy has built a strong coaching career, earning his UEFA coaching badges before returning to South Africa in 2017 to coach Cape Town City, where he won the MTN8. He later joined AmaZulu and guided them to a historic second-place league finish.
In 2022, his coaching journey reached a new level when Erik ten Hag brought him into Manchester United’s technical team as a striker coach, a role he held until mid-2024. He is currently the head coach of the Kenyan national team, the Harambee Stars.
Benni McCarthy celebrates 12th wedding anniversary
Briefly News previously reported that Bafana Bafana icon and Kenyan national team head coach Benni McCarthy celebrated his wedding anniversary with his wife, Stacey, by sharing a heartfelt post on social media that transported fans back through his personal and football journey.
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Source: Briefly News
