Benni McCarthy : Harambe Stars new Head coach

Benni McCarthy is a South African football legend, renowned for his achievements both domestically and internationally. Born on November 12, 1977, in Cape Town, South Africa, Benni McCarthy began his football journey at a young age. He played for local clubs before moving to Europe, where he joined Ajax Amsterdam in 1997. He later moved to Celta Vigo in Spain from 1999 to 2002.

In 2002,  he moved to Porto FC in Portugal, initially on loan and this was where his name was cemented in the football world. He became a key player under ”The Special one”, José Mourinho. He won the UEFA Champions League with Porto in 2004 and earned the Golden Boot award in the Primeira Liga. He became the only South African to win the league in two different countries and among the few Africans to ever lift the UEFA champions league trophy.

McCarthy joined Blackburn Rovers on July 28, 2006, signing a four-year contract for a transfer fee of £2.5 million. He made 140 appearances for Rovers, scoring 52 goals in all competitions. In the Premier League, he scored 37 goals in 109 appearances. McCarthy finished as the second top scorer in the Premier League during the 2006-07 season with 18 league goals.

McCarthy moved to West Ham United in 2010 but had a less successful stint compared to his time at Blackburn. He made 11 appearances for West Ham without scoring any goals.fter struggling to find form at West Ham, McCarthy returned to South Africa to join Orlando Pirates in 2011.

After retiring in 2013, McCarthy transitioned into coaching. McCarthy began his coaching career as an assistant manager at Sint-Truiden in 2015. This stint provided him with valuable experience in a European coaching environment. In 2017, he became the head coach of Cape Town City, where he won the MTN 8 cup in 2018. McCarthy took over as head coach of AmaZulu in December 2020. Under his leadership, the team achieved a second-place finish in the DStv Premiership and qualified for the CAF Champions League.

In July 2022, McCarthy joined Manchester United as a first-team coach under Erik ten Hag. He specialized in working with the team’s attacking players, gaining experience at the highest level of club football.

As of March 2025, McCarthy is set to take on a new challenge as the head coach of Kenya’s national football team, Harambee Stars. With his attacking philosophy we will all know what he brings to the table and maybe get to see the Harambe Stars qualify for the world cup.