Benni McCarthy Explains Why Pitso Mosimane Has Always Had The Advantage

Kenya head coach Benni McCarthy has admitted that Pitso Mosimane has often enjoyed the upper hand in their previous coaching encounters, but believes his team has the quality to give Bafana Bafana a difficult evening when the two sides meet in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

The two South African football figures will come face to face again on Friday evening, with McCarthy leading Kenya against Mosimane’s Bafana Bafana at Orlando Amstel Arena.

The encounter has attracted attention because of the history between the two coaches, who previously faced each other during their time in South African football. While Mosimane has enjoyed considerable success throughout his coaching career, McCarthy has continued to build his reputation as a coach, including his recent experience at Manchester United as a first-team coach.

Speaking ahead of the match, McCarthy openly admitted that Mosimane has generally had better resources and facilities during their previous meetings. However, he insisted that he has always tried to compete by remaining true to his coaching ideas and giving his teams the best possible chance.

“Coach Pitso has always had the upper hand, at places that had infrastructure, the best of everything and for as a young coach, I tried to give my best, stay true to myself, go out there and play the best way I can and make it difficult for who you’re up against,” McCarthy said.

The former Bafana Bafana striker also described the upcoming encounter as a David versus Goliath battle, suggesting that Kenya will enter the match as the underdogs against a strong South African side.

“Sometimes we were fortunate, sometimes we weren’t as fortunate, tomorrow \[today, Friday\] is one of those cases, David vs Goliath and unfortunately I seem to be David, I’m never Goliath – you know, so tomorrow will be another battle,” he added.

Despite recognising the challenge, McCarthy is confident that Kenya have enough tactical quality to trouble Bafana Bafana. He believes his players can make the match difficult if they follow the instructions and carry out their responsibilities on the pitch.

“Tactically I have a strong team, I have a good team and if we get things right, we can give them a run for their money tomorrow,” he said.

For Mosimane, the match presents another opportunity to guide Bafana towards their AFCON qualification ambitions. However, McCarthy will be determined to use his knowledge of South African football to help Kenya produce a strong performance.

The meeting also gives South African football supporters an opportunity to watch two familiar coaching personalities compete against each other on the international stage.

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