Former Egypt and Qatar technical team member Roger De Sa has offered some advice to countryman Benni McCarthy as the latter starts his journey as Kenya national team coach.
The former Manchester United strikers coach was unveiled as the new Harambee Stars coach on Monday along with his team that includes Vasili Manousakis as assistant, Moneeb Josephs as goalkeeper coach and Pilela Maposa as performance analyst.
De Sa spoke to iDiski Times senior writer Matshelane Mamabolo in a feature on McCarthy’s arrival in East Africa in edition 194 with De Sa saying it was a perfect time for McCarthy to go to Kenya however it would do the former Bafana Bafana international good to firstly not have too much expectation as he has many challenges lying ahead.
“To get into the national structures is a massive step for Benni because national teams are very special and I am very happy for Benni and that yet another South African is getting this opportunity,” De Sa told iDiski Times.
“So, Benni must not expect the Man United training fields or even the Orlando Pirates training field for that matter. He is obviously going to face challenges, and he’s got to be up for it and be ready to face the challenge. He must find the solutions and be ready to tolerate those and make the situation work for him.
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“Sometimes you pick these players who come from a league in Qatar, for example, where they earn top money and train in top facilities, then they come to Kenya and the field is below par. He has to get around those challenges which are not always just football.
“The other challenge he is going to have to deal with is that it is different coaching a club and a national team. Your players are in different parts of the world and you have to monitor their progress because it is not just bringing them into camp for training and playing a match.
“You need to know where the players stand and how they are playing because sometimes you need to use him as a left-back, but at his club, they are using him somewhere else.”
