Former Kenya national team lead coach Jacob ‘Ghost’ Mulee has come out to protect current Harambee Stars tactician Benni McCarthy on his selection criteria and further predicted a tough outing for the East African nation during the 2024 Africa Nations Championship (CHAN) tournament scheduled for August.
There was an outcry from a section of Kenyans immediately after the South African legend named his provisional squad ahead of the eighth edition of the tournament exclusively reserved for players who turn out for local teams in their respective leagues.
Among those who came out openly to criticise McCarthy’s squad was Shabana official Stephen Kiama, who questioned the omission of attacking midfielder Brian Michira, who completed the season with 12 goals, five fewer than Kakamega Homeboyz forward Moses Shumah, who banged in 17 to scoop the Golden Boot grant.
“We really don’t understand who did the selection of the CHAN squad.
Was it really done by McCarthy himself or Francis (Kimanzi), because for any serious coach or director looking for local talent for such a tournament for locally based players, there is no way you can skip the name of Michira,” Kiama told Betopick in a previous exclusive interview.
Kenya has one coach, Benni McCarthyWhile McCarthy responded to the criticism by saying he was not in Kenya to please anyone but hand over success to the nation, ‘Ghost’ Mulee, who first took charge of Kenya between 2003 and 2004, including at the 2004 African Cup of Nations (AFCON), has maintained that Kenya has one coach, who is McCarthy and his decision will always be final.
“I remember when I was given the opportunity to manage Harambee Stars in 2003, many Kenyans were against the decision, they questioned why a man of 35 years is being given a chance to coach the national team,” ‘Ghost’ Mulee remembered vividly during the interview.
“They even moved further to say that I don’t even have enough undergo to coach the national team, while others moved further to say that I possessed called up many players from Tusker FC (when summoning my first squad), but I frankly told them that I am the coach, and when I summon any player, I have the reason as to why I have done it.
”Mulee continued, “I thank God because after that we started to obtain good results, so the murmurs from people from different quarters, that so and so have not been contained in the squad for CHAN, they should know that we only have one coach, and that is McCarthy.
”He added: “I remember one time when the late Reinhard Fabisch, whom I worked with at Harambee Stars (may God rest his soul in peace), was once interviewed by the media and he said, 'Kenya’s coach is Fabisch but Kenya has 50 million coaches.
”“So every Kenyan is a coach, but for now McCarthy is the one hired for the job by Football Kenya Federation (FKF), and the Kenyan government, in fact during my time, I never used to read newspapers, because if you read, it will complete you, my concentrate was on the team, because if you read the newspaper, you will see malicious things that are not happening in camp.
”Kenya will confront a difficult task at CHANAccording to ‘Ghost’ Mulee, who coached Kenyan club Tusker between 1999 and 2009, winning the Kenyan Premier League title three times, and later coached APR of Rwanda and Young Africans of Tanzania, Harambee Stars will confront a tall order to crush out favourable results during the CHAN.
Harambee Stars will play their Group A matches at Kasarani Stadium.
They have been drawn alongside Morocco, Angola, DR Congo, and Zambia.
Kenya will play their opening fixture on August 3rd at 15:00 local time against the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Kenya’s second fixture will be against Angola on Tuesday, August 7th, before they confront Morocco on Sunday, August 10th and wind up their group fixtures against Zambia’s Chipolopolo on Sunday, August 17th.
“It is a difficult job, because if you check, they are local boys, and maybe they don’t have the test of playing at such tournaments, and also playing at home, because playing at home comes with a lot of different pressure,” offered ‘Ghost’ Mulee.
“But what makes me happy is that the squad has a mixture of young and underwent players, and they have undergo from the local league.
"I am also happy that there is a tournament coming up in Arusha from July 24th until 27th, which will provide the team with a great opportunity to train the players before CHAN kicks off.
“It will further offer coach McCarthy the opportunity to gauge the readiness of all the players in camp, and I sense this tournament has come at the right time for the team.
”Kenya players are assembling at camp ahead of CHANFKF MediaGhost ‘Mulee’ further reminded McCarthy to make sure he gets positive results during the CHAN and reminded him that Kenyans never pardon when things move wrong.
“Kenyans never pardon when you lose, so McCarthy and the players should know that Kenyans don’t dread attacking you with words if you don’t perform, and you can see already they have faulted him in his squad selection, and that is Kenya, and if you manage to understand how Kenyans act, then you will be in a good position to do your job without problems,” added ‘Ghost’ Mulee.
“Playing at home comes with a lot of pressure, but we have a very good tournament coming up in Arusha, it has come at the right time, Benni (McCarthy) has not stayed with this team for a long time, he has only been in charge of the team for four matches, winning one, drawing two and losing one.
“So for now, he has the best opportunity to stay with the local boys, to sharpen them, and we move to Arusha and play the friendlies, and we come support for the CHAN well prepared and ready to roar.
”‘Ghost’ Mulee defends Kenya’s lateness to start campWhile neighbours Uganda started their residential camp two weeks ahead of the CHAN, 'Ghost’ Mulee was requested whether Kenya were too late to start preparations, and if the decision would affect the team’s performance at the CHAN tournament.
“In Africa, there is no lateness,” 'Ghost’ Mulee responded with prolonged laughter.
“In Africa, any time is tea time, so I don’t think it was possible to start preparations earlier enough because our leagues just concluded recently, and we couldn’t have disrupted with the players because they also needed a rest after the gruelling season.
“Again, if you look at the calendar, the CHAN will kick off in late August, so we have a very good chance to train and move out there and perform.
Staying long in 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 the boys and obtain them to the level that they can perform, so the timing is very good for the team before the tournament gets underway.
”Requested what kind of players McCarthy should contain in his final squad, whether it should be in terms of undergo or those, who want to move out there, and perform, ‘Ghost’ Mulee responded: “We need the combination of the two, we have players, who are ready to do the job, and we have those who have undergo.
“For example, if you look at the team, we have Mohammed (Bajaber), who is a very good winger, then we have Austin (Odhiambo), another good winger.
“So if you look at the midfield, these two players will really assist the team.
And now, when it comes to undergo, we have Farouk (Shikhalo), he is more underwent, he has even played for Young Africans of Tanzania, so in the squad, I sense we have undergo, and those players who are coming up, and that combination is the best.
“Every player, who has acquired the call as the chance to move out there and use the remaining training sessions, and show coach McCarthy what he has, and by doing so, it will offer the coach an easier time to name his final squad, this is just a provisional squad, after the residential camp, he will name the final squad that will represent Kenya at CHAN.
”In conclusion, 'Ghost' Mulee said: “I want to send a passionate plea to Kenyans, please let us come in large numbers to support the team, because when they listen of the support, it gives them the spirit, and extra motivation to obtain a good result.
“For example, when we played against Gabon in the World Cup qualifier, the presence of the huge crowd really pushed the players to the limit, everybody wanted to move to the stadium, and even when you listen the noise inside the stadium, it motivates the players and even the coach.
”This will mark Kenya’s debut in the CHAN tournament.
It will run from August 2nd to August 30th, 2025, and promises to be a thrilling celebration of local football talent across East Africa.
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