A former Kenya player has revealed what it will take for Benni McCarthy to succeed as the new national team coach.
Just under two weeks remain before McCarthy takes charge of his first game as the new Kenya national team coach.
The South African, who was unveiled in Nairobi this week, will be in charge during Kenya's two qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup against The Gambia and Gabon.
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The first match against The Gambia will be a home game on 17 March, before an away clash versus Gabon on 24 March.
The former Manchester United striker's coach doesn't have much time before his first major assignment, as he is poised to announce his first squad soon.
During his unveiling, McCarthy admitted that he was convinced by the transparency of the Kenyan Football Federation (FKF) during negotiations, while the organisation's president, Mohammed Hussein, also vowed to stop any external interference in technical matters.
Ex-Kenya star James Situma insists that McCarthy indeed needs to be fully supported by the FKF in order to succeed, and that perfect planning will be key.
"You know, coaching is similar to playing football. We have been playing football all along, and it's not something new. So, I believe there is no perfect time or wrong time to bring in a coach," Situma said in an interview with Eleven TV.
"The key thing is to have structures that support the coach. We need short-term, mid-term, and long-term plans. The federation must outline what they want to achieve within a year or two.
"As I said, we need to support him. The best approach is for the federation to share their plans with other stakeholders so that they can provide input to improve the game."
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By Lukhanyo Mtuta
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