Kenyan international Micah Obiero has praised Harambee Stars head coach Benni McCarthy for his guidance and support, describing him as a valuable mentor in his development as a striker.Obiero, who recently featured for Kenya in their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Eritrea and Guinea, said working under McCarthy had been a rewarding experience given the coach’s achievements as a former striker.##NAJAVA_MECA_10017427##“Being a striker as well, he gives me pointers and he's a good mentor to have,” Obiero said in an interview with club media.“He looks after the players. He was very, very good with me leaving early. He was very helpful in that and understanding of it. I just want to thank him for that as well".It's a really good experience having him with the pedigree that he has, the things that he's won and the goals that he's scored. As a striker, it's a good thing for me to have him, but also as a whole, he's a good coach.”Kiriago retains World Cup crown as Kenyans dominate WMRA seasonMcCarthy helped facilitate Obiero’s early return to England after international duty, allowing him to rejoin Carlisle United in time for their match against Aldershot Town.After playing 45 minutes in Kenya’s 1-0 defeat to Guinea, Obiero was not part of the team that played Rwanda in a friendly. He travelled back to England and came off the bench to score his first away goal for Carlisle United.“Luckily I got the goal as well, so it was worth it in the end,” he said.Carlisle United sporting director Marc Tierney confirmed he had spoken directly to McCarthy to arrange the forward’s return.“Micah is proud to represent Kenya, and we fully support his international ambitions. I spoke directly with Benni about getting him back in time for Aldershot, and I’d like to thank him for his understanding and cooperation,” Tierney said.Aldrine Kibet's major stumbling block revealed by Celta head coachObiero also expressed his desire to represent Kenya at the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, which the country will co-host with Uganda and Tanzania.“AFCON is a very big tournament and there's a lot of good players in there from all over the world. t'd be a very nice feeling because it'd be my first major tournament,” he said.The forward added that Kenya would be aiming to compete at the tournament and make their supporters proud.“We're not just going there for the experience. As Benni has said loads of times, we want to compete and make our nation proud as well.”
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