‘If I Played Omija, Bandi and Sylvester, We Get 10’ - Benni McCarty Justifies Harambee Stars Selection After Gambia Loss

Harambee Stars coach Benni McCarthy has dismissed sentiments that he should have selected the players who impressed during the CHAN 2024 tournament in their loss to The Gambia on Friday.

Kenya were surprised at home when they felt the sting from the Scorpions, who were three goals to the good inside 38 minutes, winning 3-1, thanks to goals from Sheriff Sinyan, Yankuba Minteh and Musa Barrow.

Harambee Stars were second best in the first half with a number of defensive mistakes proving costly and fans felt that the foreign-based players, who formed the bulk of the starting XI, struggled when the CHAN 2024 stars were available.

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From the squad that featured in the recently ended tournament, only goalkeeper Byrne Omondi, defenders Sylvester Owino and Abud Omar started against The Gambia but the entire team was made to look average by the visitors.

McCarthy, however, insists he could not take a big risk by fielding the CHAN 2024 players as they lack international experience since doing so would have been more catastrophic.

“Lose 4-0, 5-0 and then I will have to answer and you will say Benni out. You want me to take risks and take CHAN players? Come on, this is international level,” McCarthy said after the match.

“You saw the shortcomings we had when players who played in CHAN play international level. This is not playing in the background here; it is top level.

“We take the opportunity to build players up for the future because if you look at our team today, Manzur [Okwaro] came in today, Alpha [Onyango], Sylvester got an opportunity, Byrne Omondi the keeper got to play and I think we are building a Kenyan team that can compete at international level.”

The South African coach feels the players should be left to learn, even if painful, as the experience will get them better instead of throwing them into the deep end.

“But when we play at the local level, we have the quality to do that [field CHAN players]. That is why you have European players so that you can integrate the two,” he added.

“I will give you my honest assessment, if I had played [Alphonce] Omija, [Lewis] Bandi, Sylvester and Abud, we get 10. The honest truth, so I have to be realistic also and it is a learning curve and hopefully one day, we get there but for this, no chance.”

McCarthy’s team have a chance to redeem themselves when they face Seychelles in another home match at Kasarani Stadium next Tuesday.