Harambee Stars coach outlines plan for Grenada after heartbreaking loss to Estonia

NAIROBI, Kenya, March 30, 2026 – Harambee Stars head coach Benni McCarthy says they are going for nothing short of a win in Monday’s third-place playoff against Grenada at the Amahoro Stadium in Kigali.

The South African believes the national team are due a win for the all the hard shifts they have been putting in training and their recent matches.

“Hopefully we can have a sterling performance like we did last time, but this time with a better outcome and a win. I think we’re very close to getting a win, for the efforts that the players have put in,” the gaffer said.

McCarthy’s last win in charge of Harambee Stars came in November last year, a 1-0 victory over Burundi in a 2026 World Cup qualifier in Bujumbura.

Since then, the team have lost to Ivory Coast (3-0), Equatorial Guinea (1-0) and Senegal (8-0).

Their latest heartbreak was at the Fifa Global Series friendly against Estonia to who they lost 5-4 on post-match penalties on Friday night.

McCarthy believes his charges have been unlucky with their results, adding that the team are progressing well as far as the uptake of his playing philosophy is concerned.

Monday’s duel with the Caribbeans, McCarthy advances, is an opportunity to build upon the good work achieved thus far.

“ I’m happy with the performance that the boys gave. To lose on penalties is never ideal, but it’s part and parcel of football. I think we’ve done really well, and now our focus shifts on the next game. Obviously we want to continue the good work we did in the last match,” he said.

Ranked 50 places higher than their opponents, Kenya (113) come into the game as huge favourites to bag bronze.

Grenada lost 4-0 to Rwanda in the other semi-final, and Monday’s encounter may feel like a walk in the park for McCarthy’s men.

However, football has penchant for throwing up unpleasant surprises – a fact that McCarthy and Co will not lose sight of as they step onto the Amahoro Stadium turf.

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