Former Manchester United first-team coach Benni McCarthy kicked off his tenure as Kenya’s head coach with a dramatic 3-3 draw against Gambia in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier on Thursday night.
McCarthy, who previously worked as a striking coach at Manchester United, named two South African-based players in his starting lineup—goalkeeper Ian Otieno and defender Brian Onyango.
Taking charge of a Harambee Stars side that had only secured one win in their first four Group F matches, the ex-United coach was tasked with revitalizing their campaign.
After a quiet first half, Kenya fell behind ten minutes into the second period when Musa Barrow netted his second goal of the qualifiers.
The situation worsened for McCarthy’s men as Yankuba Minteh doubled Gambia’s lead just six minutes later.
However, Kenya showed resilience, pulling a goal back through a Michael Olunga penalty with 20 minutes to play. One of McCarthy’s substitutes, Mohammed Bajaber, then made an immediate impact, scoring his first international goal in the 76th minute to bring the visitors level.
The Gambia looked set to claim victory when Barrow completed his brace in the 84th minute, but McCarthy’s side salvaged a point deep into stoppage time, with William Lenkupae netting in the 96th minute to cap off a thrilling encounter.
McCarthy’s Manchester United experience was expected to bring a new attacking edge to Kenya, and his debut match delivered plenty of excitement.
His next challenge will be to turn these fighting performances into victories as the Harambee Stars prepare for CHAN 2025.
