Benni McCarthy grateful to Kenyans after first two games as Harambee Stars coach

McCarthy's tenure began with a thrilling 3-3 draw against Gambia away from home in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers, followed by a narrow 2-1 defeat to Gabon in Nairobi.

Despite the mixed results, the South African-born coach remains optimistic and was deeply moved by the warm welcome from the Kenyan fans.

"We are grateful for the support - the people of Kenya who came out to support us, wow! That was the most memorable experience I've ever had, even compared to my time playing in Europe. This is what Africa should be about - it was just beautiful," McCarthy told Tuko.co.ke.

"Unfortunately, we couldn't give the fans the joy or the result they deserved. But what we can promise is that we will improve, we will get better, and they will have a team they can be proud of."

Reflecting on the defeat to Gabon, McCarthy admitted that the limited time he had with the squad made it challenging to fully implement his tactical ideas.

"Gabon, as a team, had more togetherness. I've only been here for a very short time, and there's only so much you can change in a week. You're never going to get everything exactly how you want in such a short period, so it was difficult," he explained.

Currently, the Harambee Stars sit fourth in Group F, having collected six points from six matches. McCarthy will be hoping to turn things around as he continues to build his team.