Second time lucky for Benni McCarthy and Orlando Pirates? Kenya says no ... for now

While reports swirl about Benni McCarthy returning to South Africa to take up the vacant Orlando Pirates job, the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) is adamant that their national team coach is staying put.

The former Bafana Bafana striker has been linked to the job after Jose Riveiro announced he would be leaving at the end of the season. Riveiro will be on the touchline for the final time on Tuesday evening when Pirates take on Golden Arrows in a Betway Premiership match.

Riveiro is reportedly set to become the new coach of Egyptian giants Al Ahly, with a big-money offer apparently on the table to replace Swiss coach Marcel Koller, who was sacked by the club.

McCarthy had been previously linked with the Pirates job, revealing in December that he actually had talks to join the Buccaneers even before Riveiro was appointed as head coach in 2022.

“There was [a chance] once upon a time, way before Jose Riveiro came to Pirates,” McCarthy said in a radio interview.

“I did speak with the chairman [Dr Irvin Khoza]. It was almost a done deal; it was kind of me going back to coach the Orlando Pirates. But I think the chairman at the last minute decided to go for someone with more experience because, like I said, I didn’t have a lot of coaching experience back then

“If I was given that opportunity with that Pirates team, I think there would have been fireworks. But that was the closest I came to coaching Pirates and after that, it was just always rumours.

“People were connecting me to coaching Pirates and Chiefs. When there is a vacancy my name gets thrown in, but I think it was also to attract other coaches when it looked like Benni McCarthy is close to signing for one of those two teams.”

After serving as Manchester United’s assistant coach under Erik ten Hag, McCarthy was appointed as head coach of Kenya. He took charge of the team in March, drawing a World Cup qualifier against Gambia before going down 2-1 to Gabon.

Now McCarthy is once again being linked to the Pirates job. But the Kenyan football authorities are not having it, saying that McCarthy has not approached them to get out of his contract.

"Benni is still contracted to the Football Kenya Federation as the Harambee Stars coach," FKF head of communications Jeff Kinyanjui told KickOff.

"We haven’t received anything, Benni is contracted to the FKF."

@JohnGoliath82