Benni Brings Kenya To South Africa For Double-Header Against Lesotho
Benni McCarthy’s Kenya national team will play two international friendly matches against Lesotho this week as part of their training camp in South Africa.
The legendary Bafana Bafana all-time leading goalscorer has assembled a distinctly South African technical team to spearhead his vision for the Harambee Stars.
His trusted backroom staff includes assistant coach Vasili Manousakis, whom McCarthy worked alongside at Cape Town City and AmaZulu, and former Orlando Pirates teammate Moeneeb Josephs as goalkeeper coach. Performance analyst Pilela Maposa, another former Usuthu staff member, completes the high-profile coaching unit.
The Harambee Stars will lock horns with Likuena (The Crocodiles) on Thursday, 4 June, and Sunday, 7 June.
Both encounters are scheduled to take place at the Lucas Moripe Stadium in Atteridgeville, Pretoria.
Local Flavors and the Road to AFCON 2027
McCarthy’s squad features a highly familiar face for local football fans in Polokwane City goalkeeper Brian Bwire, who has enjoyed a solid campaign in the Betway Premiership.
Having missed out on the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup, Kenya is using these friendly matches to lay the groundwork for the upcoming 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.
The Group D Dynamic Explained
In an intriguing twist of fate, Kenya was drawn into the exact same qualifying group as South Africa, alongside Guinea and Eritrea.
| Group D Teams | AFCON 2027 Qualification Status |
| Kenya | Automatically qualified as tournament co-hosts |
| South Africa | Must finish highest among remaining teams |
| Guinea | Vying for the final automatic spot |
| Eritrea | Vying for the final automatic spot |
Because Kenya has already mathematically secured their spot at the tournament as co-hosts alongside Tanzania and Uganda, their matches in the group are effectively formal exhibition games.
What this means for Bafana: For Hugo Broos’ men, who are hunting a third consecutive AFCON tournament appearance, the target is simple. South Africa must effectively top the miniature table against Guinea and Eritrea to claim the remaining automatic qualification slot from Group D.
