Harambee Stars assistant coach Vasili Manousakis has revealed how a shared dream of guiding Kenya to the 2026 FIFA World Cup played a pivotal role in his decision to reunite with head coach Benni McCarthy on the national team’s technical bench.Follow Our WhatsApp Channel For More News Speaking to FarPost in South Africa, Manousakis disclosed that McCarthy’s passionate vision and belief in Kenya’s potential reignited a sense of purpose that convinced him to take on the new challenge, despite the team’s slim qualification chances.##NAJAVA_MECA_8916367##The two coaches share a longstanding relationship, having previously worked together at South African top-flight clubs Cape Town City FC and AmaZulu FC.They are now joined at the Harambee Stars by Moeneeb Josephs as goalkeeper coach and Pilela Maposa as performance analyst.Before his Kenyan appointment, Manousakis served as assistant coach to Ernst Middendorp at Cape Town Spurs in the Motsepe Foundation Championship.Kenya targets CHAN spotlight with bid to host opening and closing ceremoniesHowever, the call from McCarthy presented a compelling reason to pivot.“When he [Benni McCarthy] called me about this project, it was an interesting one, because we had never spoken about national teams before,” Manousakis explained.“But I heard the passion in his voice, and the belief. It reminded me of the phone call just before we joined AmaZulu. He was confident—even spoke of qualifying for the World Cup, which is a massive task.”##NAJAVA_MECA_8916386##That vision, along with the chance to be part of an ambitious project in Kenya, sealed the deal.”When he told me the technical team he was assembling again, with Moeneeb and Pilela, I thought—let’s go for it. Let’s take a different path and work together again.”Manousakis also cited the influence of trailblazing South African coaches Rulani Mokwena and Fadlu Davids as inspiration for his move.He sees this chapter as an opportunity to carve out a legacy of his own on the African continent.“You look at what Rulani and Fadlu are doing really good things. We said, let’s go and write our own history. It will take time, but that’s the journey.”STARS ABROAD: Vyner’s English Premier League hopes dimmed as Tegisi scores in TanzaniaImpressed by the potential in Kenya, he praised Nairobi’s energy and the infrastructure being put in place ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.##NAJAVA_MECA_53584##“It’s a fantastic city, and there are great stadiums. They’re even building a new one for AFCON. The project is exciting. It’s different from club football—more focused, more intense. We’ve been watching a lot of local matches, and of course, now the Under-20s at AFCON. These are exciting times.”
