Benni McCarthy Weighs In on Harambee Stars Facing Pitso Mosimane’s Bafana Bafana in AFCON Qualifiers
- Kenya head coach Benni McCarthy identified South Africa and Guinea as the biggest threats in the Harambee Stars' AFCON 2027 qualifying group
- McCarthy pointed to Guinea striker Serhou Guirassy and South Africa's continental pedigree as reasons for concern ahead of the campaign
- Despite the tough draw, McCarthy said Kenya's recent qualifying campaigns against top African sides gave the squad valuable experience
PAY ATTENTION: Mark Briefly News as a preferred source, and our content will appear higher in your Google feed!
Kenya head coach Benni McCarthy has spoken candidly about the scale of the challenge awaiting the Harambee Stars in their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign, singling out South Africa and Guinea as formidable opponents in their group.
Kenya, as one of the three co-hosts of the 2027 AFCON alongside Uganda and Tanzania, have already secured a place at the tournament. Despite this, the Harambee Stars will still contest the qualifying rounds, with group winners earning formal passage through the qualification process.
**South Africa and Guinea Pose Biggest Threats**
McCarthy, who took charge of Kenya in March last year, reserved particular concern for South Africa, describing the nation as a historically well-regarded side on the continent.
PAY ATTENTION: You can now search for all your favourite news and topics on Briefly News.
"It's gonna be difficult because South Africa has always been seen as a class A category, they always in the pot with Morocco, Senegal, so they get the good draws, teams like Kenya in the lower end, so that will be very difficult," the former Bafana Bafana striker said.
South Africa recently appointed Pitso Mosimane as their new head coach, adding another dimension to the rivalry between the two sides.
McCarthy also flagged Guinea as a significant obstacle, pointing specifically to the presence of Borussia Dortmund forward Serhou Guirassy in their squad.
"I think Guinea also have superpowers in their players like Guirassy; they have a strong team, established and participated in major tournaments more than us; they have more experience," he added.
**CHAN and World Cup Campaigns Gave Kenya Crucial Experience**
Despite acknowledging the gap in experience, McCarthy drew encouragement from the lessons Kenya gathered during their African Nations Championship and 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaigns.
During those campaigns, the Harambee Stars faced top African nations including Ivory Coast and Gabon, as well as a hostile away fixture in Burundi, which McCarthy said tested the squad's character and resilience.
"We played teams like Ivory Coast, Gabon, in Burundi where it was very hostile and we held our own, it was valuable experience that we gained, it might not have been wins, but I think from where we started to where we finished, we have grown," he said.
PAY ATTENTION: Follow Briefly News on Twitter and never miss the hottest topics! Find us at @brieflyza!
Source: Briefly News
