Former Kenny national team coach, Jacob ‘Ghost’ Mulee has come out to defend the current tax of the Harambee Stars Benni McCarthy in his selection criteria and further anticipated a tough walk for the East African nation during the African 2024 (championship) championship tournament.

There was a noise from a part of Kenyans shortly after the South African legend named his temporary team before the eighth edition of the tournament reserved exclusively for players coming out for local teams in their respective leagues.

Among those who came out open to criticize McCarthyShabana’s team was Shabana Stephen Kiama’s official, who questioned the attack midfielder omission Brian tailwho finished the season with 12 goals, five less than Kakamega Homeboyz forward Moses Shumahwho tried at 17 to gather the Golden Boot Prize.

“We really don’t understand who made the choice of Chan’s team. Was it really made by McCarthy or Francis (Kimanzi), because for any coach or serious director seeking local talent for such a tournament for players based in the country, there is no way to pass Michira’s name,” Kiama told FlashScore in an earlier exclusive interview.

Kenya There is a coach, Benni McCarthy

While McCarthy responded to criticism by saying that he was not in Kenya to please anyone, but to bring success in the country, ‘Ghost’ Mulee, who first took on Kenya’s responsibility between 2003 and 2004, including in the African Nation Cup 2004 (Afcon), has retained that Kenya has a coach, which is McCarthy.

“I remember when it gave me the opportunity to handle Harambee Stars in 2003, many Kenyans were against the decision, they asked why a 35 -year -old man is being given a chance to train the national team,” ‘Ghost’ Mulee remembered vividly during the interview.

“They even went to say that I don’t even have enough experience to train the national team, while others went further to say that I had called many players from Tusker FC (when I called my first team), but I honestly told them I am the coach, and when I call a player, I have why I did it.”

MULEE continued, “I thank God because after that we started getting good results, so murmurists from people from different neighborhoods, who are not included in the team for Chan, they need to know that we only have one coach, and this is McCarthy.”

He added: “I remember once when the late Reinhard Fabisch, with whom I worked in the Harambee Stars (God restored his soul in peace), was once interviewed by the media and he said:” Kenya coach is Fabisch but Kenny has 50 million coaches. “

“So every Kenyan is a coach, but for now McCarthy is the one employed by the Football Federation in Kenya (FKF), and the Kenyan government, in fact during my time, I have never read to read newspapers, because if you read, my concentration was in the team, because if you read the newspaper, you will see bad things.”

Kenya will face a hard task in Chan

According to ‘Ghost’ Mulee, who trained Kenyan Club Tusker between 1999 and 2009, winning the Kenyan Premier League title three times, and later trained Rwanda’s APR and Tanzania’s young Africans, Harambee Stars will face a long order to accumulate favorable results during Chan.

The Harambee Stars will play their group matches or in Kasareni Stadium. They have been drawn alongside Morocco, Angola, Dr Dr KongoAND Zambia.

Kenya will play their opening match on August 3 at 3pm with local time against the Democratic Republic of Congo. Kenya’s second match will be against Angola on Tuesday, August 7before they face Morocco on Sunday, August 10 and end their group matches against Shell of Zambia Shell on Sunday, August 17.

“It’s a hard job because if you check, they are local boys, and maybe they don’t have the test of playing on such tours, and also playing at home because playing at home comes with a lot of different pressure,” Offered mulee ‘ghost’.

“But what makes me happy is that the team has a mix of new and experienced players, and they have experience from local leagues.

“I am also happy to have a tournament that comes out in the bear from July 24 to 27, which will provide the team with a great opportunity to train the players before Chan begins.

“Further will give McCarthy coach the opportunity to appreciate the readiness of all the players in the camp, and I think this tournament has come in time for the team.”

Ghost ‘Mulee’ further reminded McCarthy to make sure he gets positive results during Chan and reminded him that Kenyans never forgive when things go wrong.

“Kenyans never forgive when you lose, so McCarthy and players should know that Kenyans are not afraid to attack you if you do not perform, and you can see that they have blamed it in choosing his team, and this is Kenya, and if you come to understand how Kenyans behave, then you will be in a good position,” ‘MULEE.

“Playing at home comes with a lot of pressure, but we have a very good tournament coming to the bear, it has come in due course, Benni (McCarthy) has not stayed with this team for a long time, he was just at the top of the team for four games, winning one, drawing two and losing one.

“So, for now, he has the best opportunity to stay with local boys, to sharpen them, and we go to the bear and play friendships, and we go back to Chan well prepared and ready to noisy.”

‘Ghost’ Mulee protects Kenya’s delay to start camp

While the neighbors UGANDA They started their residential camp two weeks before Chan, ‘Ghost’ Mulee was asked if Kenya was too late to start preparations, and if the decision would affect the team’s performance on the Chan tour.

“In Africa, there is no delay,” “Ghost” replied Mulee with extended laughter. “In Africa, every time is tea time, so I don’t think it was possible to start preparations earlier because our leagues just finished recently, and we could not have intervened with the players because they also needed rest after the exhausted season.

“Again, if you look at the calendar, Chan will start at the end of August, so we have a very good chance to train and get there and perform. Staying in the camp does not mean to win; it depends on what the coach has planned for the team in terms of preparations.

“So I don’t think we have started preparations late; we still have enough time to train boys and bring them to the level they can perform, so time is very good for the team before the tour starts.”

Asked what kind of players should McCarthy include in his latest team, whether it should be in terms of experience or those who want to get there, and perform, ‘Ghost’ Mulee replied: “We need the combination of both, we have players who are ready to do the job, and we have those who have experience.

“For example, if you look at the team, we have Muhammad (Bayaber), which is a very good side, then we have austin (Odhamambo), another good side.

“So if you look at midfield, these two players will really help the team. And now, when it comes to experience, we have Farouk (Shihalo), he is more experienced, he has even played for the young Africans of Tanzania, so in the squad, I think we have experience, and those players coming, and that combination is the best.

“Playero player, who has won the call as the chance to get there and use the remaining training sessions, and show coach McCarthy what he has, and doing so, he will give the coach easier to mention his last team, this is just a temporary team after the camp, Chan. ”

In conclusion, ‘Ghost’ Mulday: “I want to send a passionate prayer to Kenyans, please let’s come to a large number to support the team because when they hear about support, it gives them the extra spirit and motivation to get a good result.

“For example, when we played against Gabon In qualifying the World Cup, the presence of the big crowd pushed the players to the border, everyone wanted to go to the stadium, and even when you hear the noise inside the stadium, it motivates the players and even the coach. “

This will mark Kenya’s debut on the Chan tour. It will last from August 2 to August 30, 2025, and promises to be an exciting celebration of local football talent throughout East Africa.