There's no looking back as McCarthy carries Kenya's hope

On May 3, 1926, hosts Kenya beat Uganda 2-1 to lift the Gossage Cup, one of the oldest football tournaments in Africa that is currently known as the Council of East and Central Africa Football Association (Cecafa).

In 1987, hosts Kenya lost 1-0 to Egypt in extra time in the final of the fourth edition of the All Africa Games held in Nairobi.

This year, the country is hosting the eighth edition of the African Nations Championship (Chan) where many are hopeful that head coach Benni McCarthy will deliver yet another glittering diadem at home, almost 100 years after Kenya lifted the Gossage Cup.

But as the country trudges into Friday (5pm) Chan quarterfinals set for Kasarani Stadium against Madagascar, McCarthy is quick to point out that he is not chasing any history.

He affirmed that his mission is to help bring out the best from his charges who so far have proved themselves beyond any reasonable doubt that they can compete against the best in this tournament.

"But I will be delighted if my players go ahead and win this tournament. Winning the trophy will give them more opportunities in the game," McCarthy told Standard Sports.

"Mine is about doing the right thing, putting in the works and letting the players shine on the pitch. I will be really happy if they lift the cup. I'm one person who likes to work, make players better so that they can go and prove themselves to the outside world should  they get the chance, so their lives can become better too," the South African tactician said.

And what does it mean to take Kenya to the Chan quarterfinals?

"It feels great to be in the current situation. It's part of my growing process. I left South Africa very young, went a broad as a player where I also became a coach, it's part of the process that prepared me for this job at Harambee Stars," McCarthy said.

"Working with the Kenyan national team has opened doors for me which I would also like the players to emulate and enjoy in the future. The more I have success with Kenya, the more these players and those across Africa are inspired to be the next generation of football managers in the continent and abroad."

Despite Chan being a competition for locally assembled players, McCarthy has given all his current Harambee charges a clean bill of health, to become a full international squad.

"Even though they only feature for local clubs, this team is formidable. There is more talent and potential here for international duty, not only in Chan. The team has good bonding, the players are willing to learn, improve and put in the hard work."

"I see them getting better everyday in training and there is nothing more pleasing than that."

"The players have displayed all the qualities needed on international stage and it is high time they got upgraded. International arena is quite demanding, but I believe they are ready for it."

When Chan kicked off on August 2, everyone labelled the McCarthy led outfit as underdogs in the dreaded Pool A that was christened the Group of Death. The pool had former winners and double champions Morocco and DR Congo, which surprisingly Kenya edged with a 1-0 margin each.

"We don't care whatever people want to call us, the fact still remains that we believe in ourselves, we believe in each other. Giving us the underdog tag is just an outside view, but for us, we will do our job in the field, we will prove ourselves with results and let people be the judge," he said.

When asked how he has managed to turn his current squad into a gem, McCarthy said:

"I ensure the players put in the work. If a player works hard, then my job becomes easy. All I ensure is that they work consistently in training, because that's the only way they can select themselves into my line up."

"So far, I'm glad all are doing so. I have trust in them. I gave them a call-up because I believed they were the best. They were called on merit and they are proving themselves to it."

"At the camp, we did a lot of friendlies where I gauged everyone. I know their weaknesses and their strengths too and this is helping us with the fielding process, and so far, all have been fantastic in their positions."