Harambee Stars coach Benni McCarthy: My technical team has not been paid for 3 months

Harambee Stars head coach Benni McCarthy has claimed that his technical bench has gone three months without pay.

In an interview with Sporty TV Africa on Monday, November 9, 2026, the gaffer said that the technical staff have received nothing, even after players finally got their outstanding allowances, warning that FIFA and CAF may have to intervene if the situation is not resolved.

“People don’t know that the technical team hasn’t been paid for three months,” the South African tactician stated.

“The authorities will have to come good and pay us, and FIFA and CAF may have to intervene in this situation,” he added.

Despite the payment challenges, coach Benni McCarthy vowed to improve the team’s performance even as Harambee Stars prepare to face South Africa in an AFCON qualifier match.

“But while we are there, it is our duty to make the players better and leave the country in a better state football-wise than we found it,” he added.

His latest revelation comes just weeks after a dispute over unpaid player allowances rocked the Harambee Stars camp ahead of the 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign.

Before Kenya’s opening qualifier against Eritrea at Nyayo National Stadium in September 2026, players refused to train over delayed payments.

McCarthy said he personally intervened to convince the squad to return to training, and most players eventually received their allowances after pressure was placed on both the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) and the government. Kenya has collected only one point from its opening two matches in Group D, and now faces South Africa in what will be its third match in the qualifiers.

The pay row is not the only challenge McCarthy has faced since his appointment in March 2025. He has previously revealed that he and members of his foreign technical team have worked in Kenya for about 18 months without the required work permits, forcing them to leave the country after national team assignments rather than remain in Kenya between camps.

FKF has since acknowledged the work permit problem, saying it is working with relevant government agencies to complete the process.

As Harambee Stars prepare for South Africa’s test, the former Manchester United forwards coach and 2004 UEFA Champions League winner with FC Porto called for accountability from those responsible, arguing that Africa has so much potential but suffers from a lack of proper management.

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