A fresh ripple in African football has turned into a wave as Benni McCarthy, the charismatic Harambee Stars boss, emerges as a leading candidate for the hot seat at Algerian powerhouse USM Alger. Reports from Algeria place the South African tactician high on the shortlist to replace Abdelhak Benchikha, who recently left the club by mutual consent, setting the stage for a dramatic cross-continental coaching pursuit.
A Sudden Surge of Interest
Sources in Algeria, relayed by journalist Kadi Nazim and picked up by regional outlets, suggest USM Alger are seriously weighing McCarthy’s credentials. The move would mark a bold step for a coach who has built a reputation for attacking flair and tactical daring, and it would thrust him into one of North Africa’s most fevered football environments.
The Rise of a Modern Coach
Benni McCarthy’s coaching résumé reads like a journey through modern football’s varied landscapes:
• Assistant roles at Sint-Truiden and Hibernian, where he cut his teeth in European coaching culture.
• Head coach at Cape Town City from 2017, where he delivered the MTN 8 trophy in 2018.
• AmaZulu FC appointment in 2020, guiding the club to a historic second-place finish and their first-ever CAF Champions League berth.
• Manchester United stint in 2022 as a first-team coach focused on attacking play under Erik ten Hag.
• Harambee Stars appointment in March 2025, taking charge of Kenya’s national side and adding international management to his growing portfolio.
Throughout his career McCarthy has been candid about his ambitions to manage at the highest levels in Europe, and the USM Alger link would represent a different but equally prestigious chapter in his ascent.
What This Move Would Mean
A switch to USM Alger would place McCarthy in a fiercely competitive Algerian league and make him the second South African coach in the country, joining Rulani Mokwena at rival MC Alger. The appointment would test his adaptability, pitting his attacking instincts against the tactical intensity of North African club football and offering a platform to cement his reputation beyond southern Africa.
The Road Ahead
For now, the story remains in the rumor column as USM Alger weigh their options and McCarthy balances national team duties with the lure of club football abroad. If the deal materializes, it will be a headline-grabbing transfer of managerial talent that underscores the growing mobility and ambition of African coaches on the continental stage.
