Harambee Stars head coach Benni McCarthy says he and his entire technical staff have not been paid for three months, with Kenya preparing for a crucial 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against South Africa.
The South African revealed the situation in an interview with Sporty TV on Monday, November 9, 2026. He said players had received outstanding allowances after earlier disputes, but no members of the coaching team had been paid.
“The technical staff have received nothing,” McCarthy said. “People don’t know that the technical team hasn’t been paid for three months. The authorities will have to come good and pay us, and FIFA and CAF may have to intervene in this situation.”
McCarthy, a former Manchester United forwards coach and Bafana Bafana player, said the delay would not prevent him from carrying out his responsibilities with the national team.
His focus, he added, was on improving Kenya’s football and ensuring he left the side in a better position than he found it.
“At the end of the day, my job is to go out there and leave Kenya in a better position than I found it,” he said. “We are professional enough to go out there and do our job. After the football matches, we can fight for what is worth fighting for.”
The disclosure follows a player boycott of training several weeks ago, when squad members refused to practise because of unpaid allowances before Kenya’s opening 2027 AFCON qualifiers against Eritrea and Guinea.
McCarthy intervened to persuade the players to return to training. Most of the squad later received their outstanding payments after pressure was placed on Football Kenya Federation (FKF) and the government.
Kenya collected one point from those two matches and now faces a difficult Group D meeting with South Africa.
The latest claims point to continuing financial and administrative problems within Kenyan football. Previous coaching regimes have also reported delays in salary payments.
McCarthy has previously expressed concern about work permits for himself and members of his foreign staff, providing another source of difficulty within the national-team setup.
Despite the issues away from the pitch, the coach has continued to stress professionalism and accountability among those responsible for running the game.
Unresolved salary problems could create further disruption with important qualifiers still to come. Kenya will also co-host the 2027 AFCON with Uganda and Tanzania.
Football Kenya Federation and the Ministry of Sports have not yet issued a detailed public response to McCarthy’s latest claims.
The dispute highlights the need for improved financial management in Kenyan football, with both players and coaches requiring reliable support as the team seeks to improve its continental ranking and perform strongly at the forthcoming tournament.