Benni McCarthy praises ‘clinical’ Harambee Stars in Seychelles victory

“I am happy that the players picked themselves up after our loss to Gambia. I am also happy that they did not underrate our rivals, who had individual quality to hurt us were it not that we were more careful in our game,” McCarthy said.

“They (Harambee Stars) were professional, and this win gives us something positive to build on. The players have something good to reflect on as they go back to their clubs before we regroup in October,” added the 47-year-old South African tactician.

Harambee Stars netted four headed goals and a converted penalty. Rising star Ryan Ogam, who is set to join Austrian side Wolfsberger, scored a brace of headers, while defender Collins Sichenje also nodded one in. Captain Michael Olunga bagged a brace — one from the spot and another header. McCarthy praised his team’s clinical finishing, saying the training on set pieces had paid off.

“We worked a bit on set pieces because we noticed their players are not that tall. We knew if we put the ball in the right place, we could get some joy,” he explained.

Three of the goals came directly from set-piece situations. Ogam opened the scoring in the 6th minute from a Duke Abuya free kick. In the 34th minute, Abuya was on target again, this time delivering the cross that Sichenje powered home for Kenya’s second. Ogam made it 3-0 after heading in a rebound from the post following Abuya’s shot. Olunga converted a penalty in first-half stoppage time to give Kenya a 4-0 lead at the break. He completed his brace in the second half by heading in Ronney Onyango’s cross.

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McCarthy blamed the earlier loss to Gambia on Stars’ wastefulness in attack.

“As I said, we have to be brutal in finishing and, as you can see today, we scored four goals in the first half. I cannot remember the last time Kenya scored five goals,” McCarthy noted. Coincidentally, the last time Harambee Stars scored five goals in a match was on November 20, 2023 — also against Seychelles in the first leg of their World Cup qualifier.

The latest result also brings Kenya closer to hitting the 100-goal milestone in their history of World Cup qualifying matches. The victory lifted their tally to 98 goals. Kenya is currently ranked 109th in the Fifa world rankings. Despite the huge win against Seychelles, ranked 203rd, the loss to Gambia remains a setback.

Still, fans relished the occasion, breaking into Mexican waves and chanting “Olé! Olé!” as they celebrated the goals. The turnout was impressive for a midweek fixture, something McCarthy was quick to acknowledge.

“We gave the fans something they deserve. They have been loyal and coming out in large numbers to support us. I had feared attendance would plummet after the Gambia loss, but they stood with us. They enjoyed a goal fest,” the coach said.

Team captain Olunga also commended the supporters, while responding to criticism after he failed to score against Gambia.

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“The fans give good criticism and, as a player, I would say they mean well. The fans want us to improve. We play at a high level, and that comes with pressure. As such, we have to draw a line between positive criticism and cyberbullying,” said Olunga, who plies his trade in Qatar with Al Arabi.

Harambee Stars’ final qualifiers will be away against Burundi and Côte d’Ivoire in October. The team is currently fifth in Group F with nine points from eight matches. World Cup qualification is out of reach, but strong performances against Burundi and the high-ranked Ivorians could help improve Kenya’s Fifa standing.