Nairobi — Harambee Stars head coach Benni McCarthy admits the lack of a work permit to operate in the country might one day cost him his dream of coaching Manchester United.
The boyhood United fan has never hidden his desire to go back to club coaching but is now worried that lack of a work permit might rule him out of the running for the big post at Old Trafford.
"I am very worried for myself and my team, because I don't ever want that to be the stumbling block from us getting the job one day of becoming a Man United coach. That's my aspiration, my ambition. I don't ever want that to be the challenge why I never make that dream come true, because of what I did when I was in Kenya. Where I worked here and I didn't have my work permit to do that," McCarthy said.
The South African has worked before at United, coaching the forwards during the tutelage of Dutchman Erik Ten Hag in 2022-24.
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Before taking on the Kenyan national team job, McCarthy had also coached in his homeland, Cape Town City and AmaZulu, famously steering the latter to the group stages of the Caf Champions League in 2022.
McCarthy noted that developed countries are sticklers for the rule of law particularly when it comes to Africans who are held at the highest standards.
He added that operating in Kenya without a work permit may soil his image especially when the opportunity to take over at United comes.
"Other people, if they go back in the records and it says that I worked illegally in a country, they would say that 'Why would we want to have, if he's capable of doing that there, he's more than capable of doing it wherever he goes.' That might be a negative on me for something that I didn't have control over...so yeah, I am worried," he said.
The gaffer also cited the lack of a work permit as the reason why he has not attended as many local matches as possible to scout for talent.
"With my South African passport that I have, I don't need a visa to get into Kenya. But, I don't know if that allows me to work in Kenya without needing a work permit. So that's why, unfortunately for the other players, that when you don't see us at local games, that is probably the biggest reason why we're never here," McCarthy added.
Following his lamentations, the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) revealed they are working with relevant authorities to expedite the issuance of a work permit to McCarthy and his technical bench.