Unpaid Harambee Stars Coach Benni McCarthy Warns FIFA Will Intervene

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Speaking to SportyTV Africa on Monday, McCarthy stated that the technical staff have received nothing, even after players were paid their outstanding allowances following a training boycott in September.

“The technical staff have received nothing,” McCarthy stated during the broadcast. “My job is to leave Kenya in a better position than I found it. The authorities will have to come good and pay us, and FIFA and CAF may have to intervene.”

The ongoing pay dispute has severely disrupted preparations just days before the team travels to Johannesburg for a crucial 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualification tie against South Africa.

The first leg of the high-stakes qualifying match is scheduled to kick off at the Orlando Stadium on Friday, November 13, 2026, before the team returns to Nairobi for the reverse fixture.

Despite the severe financial strain and administrative friction, McCarthy emphasized that his backroom staff remains committed to fulfilling their professional duties on the pitch.

“But we are professional enough, when we go there, we do our jobs,” McCarthy added. “After football matches, we can fight for whatever it is that we are fighting for, but while we are there, we have a duty to make those players better.”

The Football Kenya Federation faces immense pressure to resolve the technical bench’s financial grievances before the squad departs for South Africa to avoid international regulatory escalations ahead of the fixture.