The appointment of Benni McCarthy as Kenya national soccer team’s head coach this week should be welcomed as a positive step towards swelling the number of SA coaches around the globe.
Since Pitso Mosimane left Mamelodi Sundowns for Egypt’s Al Ahly five years ago, some of his compatriots have dared to leave the country to try their luck elsewhere in the continent.
They include Fadlu Davids, the former Orlando Pirates assistant coach and Maritzburg head coach, who is at Tanzanian side Simba SC. Morena Ramoreboli made a name for himself in charge of Botswana’s Jwaneng Galaxy and has now been promoted to head coach of that country’s senior national team after helping them qualify for this year’s Africa Cup of Nations finals in Morocco when he was interim coach.
Over in Morocco, Rulani Mokwena is spearheading giants Wydad Casablanca’s rebuilding project and he’s seemingly succeeding. Mosimane has gone on to make history elsewhere outside this continent, taking up jobs in the United Arab Emirates, Iran and Saudi Arabia, after a successful two-year stay with Ahly, with whom he won the CAF Champions League twice and a bronze medal at the Fifa Club World Cup.
Now, it is McCarthy’s turn to show what SA coaches are made of. The Bafana Bafana legend confessed this week that he had received other offers before springing the surprise of heading to East Africa, notably from the US’s Major League Soccer.
We applaud his decision to share his expertise on the African continent. Some time last year, McCarthy was also linked with a return to SA football with Mamelodi Sundowns, but the Kenya job – while not the most glamorous – should be a stepping stone for the 47-year-old.
It is foreign territory for McCarthy because his previous coaching experience was solely at club level – having had successful spells at AmaZulu and Cape Town City before heading to Manchester United as the strikers coach under Dutchman Erik ten Hag.
Inevitably, it will also be challenging as he has to learn the culture and familiarise himself with the personnel, players and the environment.
But these are the risks worth taking if SA football is to progress. For too long, we have complained about chance-takers from elsewhere coming into our continent to hog prominent jobs. But if we as a country can export our best to the continent, we will stem the tide of “plumbers” masquerading as coaches taking key roles in our football. We wish Benni immense success with the Harambee Stars.
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