How Jose Mourinho inspired Benni McCarthy’s Art of Winning with 10 Players

Harambee Stars, Kenya's national football team, has demonstrated remarkable resilience at the ongoing CHAN tournament, particularly when facing adversity.

Despite receiving red cards in two of their recent matches, the team has managed to avoid conceding a single goal after those dismissals.

This impressive display of game management has prompted questions about the tactical acumen of their coach, the South African-born Benni McCarthy.

Lessons from the Legendary Mourinho

When asked about his approach to handling situations with a player down, Coach McCarthy quickly pointed to his past mentor: the legendary Portuguese manager, Jose Mourinho.

McCarthy, who once played in Portugal under Mourinho, credits the tactical genius for shaping his understanding of how to manage a team effectively when reduced to ten men.

Benni McCarthy played for FC Porto under Jose Mourinho from 2002 to 2004.

"I played under a certain coach. Jose Mourinho who was the master of that," McCarthy revealed while responding to journalists after a 1-0 win against Morocco, with 10 players.

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He described the experience of playing with ten men as "hell". However, under Mourinho's guidance, his team learned to manage such scenarios perfectly.

"It was our everyday thing, you know, like we were a team that plays with 10 men instead of 11," he added.

The Unpretty Truth of Defensive Mastery

McCarthy absorbed the trades and the tricks from Mourinho, learning exactly where to adjust, and who to sacrifice.

“So I've learned the trades and the tricks of working with Mourinho and where you adjust, how who do you sacrifice,” he elaborated.

He admitted that this style of play is not going to be pretty for the fans who typically desire attacking football.

The core philosophy, according to McCarthy, revolves around uncompromising defense. Sometimes, this even means defenders taking on unexpected roles in midfield or even attack to maintain shape and deny opponents space.

“And unfortunately, it's not going to be pretty for the fans because they want to see attacking football and good but then you think about most important to protect your goal and if you are in the lead you protect at all cost sometimes defenders have to play midfield jobs or striker jobs and that was the art that I've learned playing under Jose Mourinho.”

McCarthy's Application with Harambee Stars

Applying these invaluable lessons, McCarthy now implements a highly disciplined defensive strategy as a coach. When a player is sent off, particularly a striker, the tactical shift is decisive.

"When we used to get a player send off, one of the strikers get taken off and then one must run himself down like a dog monkey in front and the rest we park the bus," McCarthy elaborated on the strategy.

He even jokingly corrected himself, stating, "No, not the bus. We park a train and then a bus in front".

The Harambee Stars have demonstrated this very resilience. Their ability to adapt and hold their ground, even with a numerical disadvantage, showcases the direct impact of McCarthy's tutelage under one of football's most astute tactical minds.