And so all the hype, reverence and reasonable acclaim will take a back seat, at least, as former Bafana Bafana striker Benni McCarthy begins his reign as Harambee Stars head coach.His first assignment comes in the shape of a crucial 2026 World Cup qualifying tie against Gambia on Thursday night (2200 EAT), where the South African manager will be initially judged.PREVIEW: Benni McCarthy out to kick start Harambee Stars reign with win over GambiaWith a few headlines in his 23-man squad already, McCarthy carries an experienced squad, which we expect will see him stick to a seemingly Engin Firat lookalike team, but that could well be thrown out of the window.Mozzart Sport takes the risk of predicting his likely Starting XI against Johnathan McKinstry’s Scorpions:Goalkeeper – Brian BwireAn air of uncertainty surrounds the goalkeeping position, given the absence of Bryne Omondi, who missed the squad due to a lengthy time out with injury.On pure form, Farouk Shikhalo would be the likely starter, given his availability in club games – formerly at KCB and now Bandari – which puts him a step ahead of compatriots Brian Bwire and Ian Otieno.Harambee Stars custodian eyes maiden FIFA World Cup qualificationHowever, Bwire, plying trade at Polokwane City, has this year garnered some game time, starting in five league games, and has the experience of donning the national team colors.In the last two Stars windows, Bwire was second-choice, and will likely pip Shikhalo and Otieno, who last featured for Richards Bay in November, for a place in between the sticks.##NAJAVA_MECA_8790145##Defenders – Daniel Anyembe, Brian Mandela, Johnstone Omurwa, Eric OumaLittle surprises here, given the consistency in this position in recent years.Joseph Okumu is the big miss, with McCarthy saying a ‘misunderstanding’ was behind his exclusion.’Misunderstanding’ led to Joseph Okumu being omitted from Harambee Stars squadIn his place, we predict a returnee to the squad – Brian Mandela – will start his first Harambee Stars game since September 2023.Midfield – Anthony Akumu, Richard Odada, Timothy OumaWe again expect some consistency in this position, though with the potential for tinkering.A two-man deep midfield might not be ideal for McCarthy’s quest for “attacking, quick tempo football”, but changes would rather be made after the fact.Matchday! Gambia 
Kenya 
10 pm EAT
Stade Alassane Ouattara
LIVE on KBC #HarambeeStars pic.twitter.com/1nm3KUPDJs— Harambee Stars (@Harambee__Stars) March 20, 2025 A toss-up will likely be the decider between Timothy Ouma and Duke Abuya in attacking midfield.Attack – Rooney Onyango, Jonah Avire, Michael OlungaPicks itself out.Rooney Onyango, as witnessed since his positional change against Seychelles in 2023, can be a menace going forward, and there will be a number of clips McCarthy will have watched and loved Jonah Avire’s movement on the left.History-chasing Michael Olunga to bag the goals upfront.Olunga urges patience as Harambee Stars adjust to new coach Benni McCarthy
