Harambee Stars assistant coach Vasili Manousakis has detailed a conversation he had with Benni McCarthy before they reunited in Kenya.
Manousakis has joined McCarthy at the Kenya National Team alongside Moeneeb Josephs [goalkeeper coach] and Pilela Maposa [performance analyst]. Manousakis and McCarthy worked together at Betway Premiership clubs AmaZulu FC and Cape Town City FC.
Before taking up the job at the East African nation, Manousakis was working as an assistant to Ernst Middendorp at Cape Town Spurs in the Motsepe Foundation Championship.
“When he [Benni McCarthy] called me about this project, it was an interesting one because we had never discussed the national team before,” Vasili Manousakis told FARPost.
WHY IT WAS EASY FOR VASILI MANOUSAKIS TO REUNITE WITH BENNI MCCARTHY
“But I heard the passion inside him and his belief. It was sort of similar to the call I received just before we joined AmaZulu. He was very positive and confident. He even talked about the belief at that stage that there was a real opportunity to qualify for the World Cup, which was a very difficult task.
“I listened to him and of course when he told me the team that he was assembling again with Moeneeb [Josephs] and Pilela [Maposa], I said to myself, let’s go for it. Let’s go in a different direction and work together,” he added.
FORMER CAPE TOWN CITY AIMS TO RE-WRITE OWN HISTORY WITH THE HARAMBEE STARS
“You have seen what some coaches are doing on the continent. Coach Rulani [Mokwena] and coach Fadlu [Davids]. I mean, really good stuff that they are doing, and we said let’s go and write our own type of history there, which will take some time.
“It’s a fantastic City in Nairobi. There are some great stadiums, and they are busy building another stadium for the 2027 AFCON. I think if you look at the project and to get together again is great. It’s an honour and it’s very different from the day-to-day activities. We have been watching many local games, and obviously now the Under-20 at the AFCON. So it’s really exciting times.”
RELATED STORY: Benni McCarthy makes strong SA and Kenya players comparison