Harambee Stars head coach Benni McCarthy has revealed that he and his technical staff are yet to be paid, with the disclosure coming just days before Kenya face South Africa in their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying campaign.Download our Mozzart Sport app for more newsThe former Manchester United forwards' coach confirmed that the players have received their outstanding allowances following the payment dispute that disrupted preparations for the September/October fixtures.However, the situation remains unresolved for members of the technical bench.##NAJAVA_MECA_10095639##The 2004 UEFA Champions League winner with FC Porto said the unpaid dues had not distracted him from his responsibility to improve the national team.He, however, suggested that FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) could eventually be drawn into the matter.“The technical staff have received nothing. But at the end of the day, my job is to go out there and leave Kenya in a better position than I found it. Gor Mahia revenue from Nairobi United clash falls short of KSh 1 millionThat is what I will continue striving for. The authorities will have to come good and pay us, and FIFA and CAF may have to intervene in this situation,” McCarthy told Sporty TV.The South African tactician, who previously managed Cape Town City and AmaZulu before joining Manchester United as a forwards coach under Erik ten Hag, noted that professional duty must come first whenever the team takes to the pitch.“We are professional enough to go out there and do our job. After the football matches, we can fight for what is worth fighting for. ##NAJAVA_MECA_10101977##But while we are there, it is our duty to make the players better and leave the country in a better state football-wise than we found it,” he added.His comments come against the backdrop of the players’ go-slow ahead of Kenya’s opening 2027 AFCON qualifier against Eritrea in September.The squad had refused to train over unpaid allowances, forcing the former Blackburn Rovers and FC Porto striker to step in and persuade them to return to work.Coach Onyango identifies key factors behind rising ACL injuries among Kenyan footballersThe 48-year-old revealed that he had to convince the players to attend a training session on the eve of the Eritrea match, leaving the team with just one session before the encounter at Nyayo National Stadium.“I had to convince the players to train the day before the Eritrea game. I would never allow players to refuse to play because of issues they have. My responsibility was to get them ready, and I managed to convince them to train and play the following day,” he recalled.##NAJAVA_MECA_10104621##The former South Africa international said the players eventually received most of their outstanding allowances while travelling to Guinea for their second Group D fixture, following sustained pressure.“Travelling to Guinea, the players were still waiting to know what was happening. Eventually, most of them received their allowances because a lot of pressure had been put on the federation and the ministry,” he disclosed.Appointed on 3 March 2025 to replace Turkish tactician Engin Firat, who resigned late in 2024, the former UEFA Champions League winner arrived in Kenya with three compatriots who had worked alongside him at AmaZulu.STARS ABROAD: Marcelo scores and assists in Raków win as Ochieng, Wanjala feature in SpainVasili Manousakis took up the assistant coach role; former South Africa international goalkeeper Moeneeb Josephs was appointed goalkeeping coach, while Pilela Maposa became the performance analyst.The trio had been part of the technical team that guided AmaZulu to second place in the South African Premier Soccer League in the 2020/21 season and subsequently helped the Durban-based club reach the CAF Champions League group stages.The payment revelation comes as Kenya prepare for a reunion with the coach’s country of birth, South Africa, at Orlando Stadium in Johannesburg on Friday, 13 November.##NAJAVA_MECA_10104626##The fixture will be Harambee Stars’ third Group D outing, although the team has already secured a place at the 2027 AFCON finals as one of the co-hosts.Kenya have collected just one point from their opening two qualifiers, drawing 1-1 with Eritrea at Nyayo National Stadium on 26 September before suffering a 1-0 defeat to Guinea in Conakry five days later.Ryan Ogam scored a late equaliser against Eritrea after the visitors had taken the lead, but Serhou Guirassy’s 32nd-minute strike condemned the Stars to defeat against Guinea.
17