Benni McCarthy Reveals How He Outsmarted Pitso Mosimane With Tactical Change Against Bafana

Kenya head coach Benni McCarthy has revealed the tactical adjustment that helped his team recover from two setbacks and secure a dramatic 2-2 draw against Bafana Bafana in their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying encounter in Soweto.

The Harambee Stars travelled to Orlando Amstel Arena as underdogs but showed remarkable determination to frustrate Pitso Mosimane’s side, who were hoping to continue their impressive start to the qualifying campaign.

South Africa initially took the lead through an unfortunate own goal by Kenya defender Amos Wanjala. However, the visitors responded through a penalty converted by Michael Olunga before Relebohile Mofokeng restored Bafana’s advantage in the second half.

Just when Mosimane’s team appeared to be heading towards another victory, Ryan Ogam scored a late equaliser to earn Kenya a valuable point.

Following the encounter, McCarthy explained that his decision to change Kenya’s formation played a crucial role in turning the match around.

According to the former Bafana Bafana striker, his players initially struggled to contain South Africa’s attacking movements, particularly the threat created by the overlapping full-backs.

He specifically mentioned Aubrey Modiba and the problems caused by Bafana’s wide attacking players, including Oswin Appollis, Tshepang Moremi, Iqraam Rayners and Mofokeng.

McCarthy admitted that conceding the opening goal forced him to reconsider his tactical approach.

“Obviously we made that error, we gave away the opening goal and I had to change the system, which I don’t think they realised that I had changed the system,” he explained.

The Kenyan coach subsequently introduced a back-three formation, allowing his wing-backs to occupy Bafana’s advancing full-backs and reduce the space available on the flanks.

He believes the adjustment helped Kenya regain possession, create attacking opportunities and become more competitive.

“We changed into a back-three and then the wing-backs occupied the full-backs, which I think they didn’t realise what hit them. Then we started having a bit of space and more possession and we were able to do what we did,” McCarthy added.

Despite being pleased with the outcome, McCarthy admitted that he wanted his team to exercise greater control instead of allowing the match to become an end-to-end contest.

He also described the 2-2 result as fair, arguing that both teams had opportunities to secure victory.

Attention now shifts to Tuesday, 17 November, when the two nations meet again in Nairobi.

For Mosimane, the return fixture presents an opportunity to respond after dropping points at home, while McCarthy will hope his tactical approach produces another positive result.

The second encounter promises another interesting battle between the two experienced coaches.

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