The head coach of the Gambia national team, Johnathan McKinstry, is optimistic that the recent appointment of South African football icon Benni McCarthy to guide Kenya’s Harambee Stars will significantly enhance the team’s attacking prowess.
The Scorpions of Gambia are scheduled to clash with Kenya in a Group F World Cup qualifying match at the Alassane Ouattara Ebimpe Olympic Stadium in Ivory Coast on Thursday, March 20th. This encounter marks the fifth matchday for both sides as they push forward in the qualification campaign for the World Cup, which is slated to occur from June 11th to July 19th, 2026.
McCarthy, aged 47, has stepped into his role following the signing of a contract that will endure until the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament in 2027, which Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania are set to co-host.
Gambia’s first challenge under McCarthy will be against the Scorpions, and McKinstry, who previously led Gor Mahia to two Kenyan Premier League titles before transitioning to his current role, believes the arrival of McCarthy—formerly of AmaZulu and Cape Town City—has completely transformed the mindset surrounding the Kenyan team.
The Northern Irish coach asserts that under previous manager Engin Firat, Kenya adopted a more defensive approach, relying heavily on set-pieces and corner kicks to secure victories. However, with McCarthy at the helm, McKinstry anticipates a more attacking strategy from the Kenyan squad in their Group F showdown.
McCarthy’s Forward-Thinking Approach
In a pre-match interview, McKinstry, who has also managed Uganda and Rwanda, expressed that the encounter against the Harambee Stars will be especially intriguing given it marks McCarthy’s first match in charge.
“Six months ago, I would have expected a Kenyan side that would sit back, defend, and hope to win through set-pieces. The previous coach’s philosophy didn’t really encourage attacking play,” he said.
“Historically, they were quite defensive and could be classified as counter-attacking, aiming for goals primarily through corners or free-kicks.”
“Now, a new coach means a new chapter in Kenyan football. Benni (McCarthy) has recently taken the reins and, looking at his past teams in South Africa, whether it was AmaZulu or Cape Town City, they generally aimed to press more and play attacking football. He was, after all, a phenomenal footballer.”
McKinstry added: “Most recently he was a strikers coach at Manchester United, and he embodies a very attacking mentality. However, he only has two or three days to work with his new players, so it will be interesting to see how much of that can be incorporated in such a short time.”
“When I joined here a year ago, I noticed that we quickly adopted an attacking style of play through the right approach to the camp.”
Even with his familiarity with many players in the Harambee Stars, McKinstry remains cautious. He knows that recognising players doesn’t automatically inform him of McCarthy’s game plan for their face-off.
“Going into the Kenyan match, there’s a bit of uncertainty. While I’ve got a good understanding of the Kenyans, it doesn’t indicate I know the strategies McCarthy might implement,” he explained.
“We need to be alert and ready for a challenge. Our aim is to perform at our peak, and if we do so, I’m confident we can secure the results we are after. These are tough matches, but we intend to improve our performance, rectify past errors, and build on the positive progress made in recent months.”
Gambia Is Focused on Both Matches
Following the matchup with Kenya, Gambia will stay in Ivory Coast to take on the African champions in a matchday six fixture at Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny on Monday, March 24th.
When asked if the Scorpions could secure six points from the two encounters, McKinstry responded, “Both matches present unique challenges. Both teams rank above us, meaning we must treat them with utmost respect. Ivory Coast is nestled around 44 or 45 in the world rankings, while Kenya sits between 105 and 108. Both represent formidable opponents.”
“It would be a mistake to assume that the game against Kenya will be simpler compared to our clash with Ivory Coast; they both pose significant challenges.”
“Ivory Coast boasts an astonishing home record in competitive fixtures. It’s been since 2017 that they last failed to win a home qualifier—eight years without a loss in competitive games, with all home qualifiers resulting in victories. We acknowledge the difficulty this poses, but we believe we have the players capable of giving them a tough match.”
McKinstry concluded, “As we did in Tunisia last time, we feel we can step up to historically strong opponents and create chances against them.”
Currently, the Scorpions languish in fifth place in their six-team group, having earned three points from four matches. Ivory Coast leads the group with ten points, followed by Gabon with nine, Burundi with seven, and Kenya with five, while Seychelles sits at the bottom without a point.
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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