Kurunzi Sports

Category: Big Read

  • McLarens vs Verstappen and rain on race day – What To Watch For in the Australian Grand Prix

    McLarens vs Verstappen and rain on race day – What To Watch For in the Australian Grand Prix

    From McLaren drivers fighting to surprise threats for big points, and from an unsettled weather forecast to new faces in front-running teams starting at the back, here are five things to keep an eye on when the season kicks off in Melbourne…

    1. No team orders to start the season

    Team orders – or ‘Papaya Rules’ at McLaren – were a major talking point in the second half of last year such was the focus on whether there was a chance for Lando Norris to catch Max Verstappen in the drivers’ championship. After the end of the European season, Oscar Piastri started supporting Norris’ bid, but it didn’t stop him winning himself in Azerbaijan.

    Starting 2025, both drivers say it is a clean slate and they are free to fight for victory, although they acknowledge they have to leave each other extra space and remember they are racing for the team.

    Both drivers highlight last year’s team work as being central to their constructors’ championship success – but Verstappen did still win a fourth drivers’ title and he’s lurking in third place in Melbourne.

    The Dutchman will be looking to take advantage of any incidents or battles between the McLaren pair if he can, but he also has George Russell alongside him on the second row. And Verstappen and Russell didn’t exactly end last year on the best of terms…

    2. Big points on offer for Tsunoda and Albon

    One of the standout teams in pre-season testing was Williams, who looked to have made a step forward with their 2025 car and have two drivers capable of exacting the maximum performance out of it.

    That was seen at different stages of the qualifying session, but in the end it was Alex Albon who came out on top in the team mate battle, securing sixth on the grid, ahead of Carlos Sainz in 10th.

    Although Albon out-qualified both of the Ferraris, he was pipped to a top five qualifying spot by a car that hadn’t been on most people’s radar after testing: Yuki Tsunoda in the Racing Bulls.

    Tsunoda was quick in FP2 to set the fourth fastest time, but with the top four teams all trading quick laps throughout the weekend it was still a surprise when he managed to put together an excellent final lap in Q3 to start on the third row.

    Both drivers will be eyeing big points from their impressive grid positions, but the big question now is whether they have the race pace to match their starting spots.

    Williams looked more competitive than the Racing Bulls on Friday, but with teams still learning so much about their cars at this early stage – and with track position important at Albert Park – there’s every chance they can fight for a good haul on Sunday.

    3. Hamilton’s Ferrari race debut

    There has been a huge amount of interest in Lewis Hamilton’s fresh start at Ferrari over the past few months, and the seven-time world champion has regularly referenced his excitement at all of the different firsts he is experiencing.

    After his first time at the team’s factory, his first simulator session, his first drive in an old Ferrari, his first drive in the latest one, and his first pre-season test in red, Hamilton now will embark on his Grand Prix start as a Ferrari driver.

    Hamilton will start from eighth on the grid after a disappointing qualifying session for the Scuderia, but he will be alongside team mate Charles Leclerc – and Ferrari had strong long run pace in second practice.

    So there should be potential for both to move forward, but however the race pans out it’s going to be another milestone for Hamilton as he looks to settle in as quickly as possible at his new team.

    4. Antonelli and Lawson from the back

    There is huge excitement around the rookie class of 2025, and two of them are getting to drive in competitive machinery, with Kimi Antonelli at Mercedes and Liam Lawson at Red Bull. But the problem for both drivers is how competitive the other eight teams are, as they became casualties of an extremely competitive Q1 on Saturday.

    Antonelli sustained bib damage and was knocked out in Q1 by just 0.007s, despite being only 0.6s off the fastest overall time. Lawson’s day on Saturday was even more challenging, as a power unit problem stopped him running in FP3, and on a track where he is the only driver to never race – the other rookies having competing in Formula 2 – he struggled in qualifying to end up 18th.

    Both will have to fight through the field on Sunday – but both have cars that are clearly quick after their team mates ended up sharing the second row. Seeing how they handle the situation will be an interesting aspect of the race to follow.

    Prospects are a little less exciting when it comes to Ollie Bearman’s hopes of moving forward, as the new Haas driver has endured a nightmare weekend so far. He crashed in FP1, missed FP2 as a result, spun into the gravel at the start of FP3, and then had a gearbox issue that prevented him from setting a time in qualifying. Just completing the race distance to gain experience would constitute a success

    5. The weather

    The weather forecast has been an intriguing subplot to this race weekend, after a week in Melbourne that started with heat warnings but then cooled down somewhat on Thursday and Friday.

    That gave way to an extremely hot Saturday – with the temperature continuing to climb into the evening after qualifying finished – but as the high temperatures come down again it could still result in heavy rain come Sunday.

    The temperature is forecast to drop steadily from midnight onwards, meaning the teams might be dealing with different track conditions compared to Friday and Saturday regardless. And although the risk of rain appears to be decreasing, if any does hit the track it’s likely to be fairly significant as the weather breaks.

    Although there were some light showers in pre-season testing, only Haas ran an intermediate tyre for a short spell, so in reality no team has any significant data to fall back on if the race is wet, and the already uncertain competitive picture could be further mixed up.

    Source: Formula 1

  • Daunting task awaits ‘Zulu Warrior’ McCarthy as he starts stint as Harambee Stars coach

    Daunting task awaits ‘Zulu Warrior’ McCarthy as he starts stint as Harambee Stars coach

    Former South African international striker Benni McCarthy will be officially unveiled on Monday afternoon as the new Harambee Stars head coach by the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) at Serena Hotel, Nairobi.

    Benni, fondly known as the “Zulu Warrior” in football circles, is expected to sign a two-year deal that will see him stay in charge until 2027 as he starts his era in the star’s touchline.

    The soft-spoken McCarthy, who arrived in Nairobi on Thursday last week, has a big reputation and is not only expected to sharpen the Harambe Stars frontline but ensure fluidity in midfield and also tighten the rare guard.

    News that McCarthy will be the man to take over the mantle at national football team Harambee Stars was a big relief. McCarthy is a tried and tested man. As a player, he was prolific. As a coach, he a proven track record.

    But, will he succeed where many before him have failed? McCarthy arrives in Nairobi with a formidable reputation, but can he translate his illustrious playing career into success in the dugout?

    While no one doubts his ability as a footballer—he remains Bafana Bafana’s all-time top scorer with 31 goals in 70 appearances and the only South African to win the UEFA Champions League—his ability to steer Kenya back to greatness will be the real test.

    The former Manchester United first team coach will be replacing interim boss Francis Kimanzi, who stepped in following the controversial departure of Turkish tactician Engin Firat.

    Since Sebastian Migné led Kenya to the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon), the national team has been on a downward spiral. Their recent performances, including failing to qualify for the 2025 Afcon and suffering humiliating defeats in the CHAN qualifiers, have left fans disillusioned.

    McCarthy arrives with an impressive CV, but faces a monumental challenge to transform the Harambee Stars into a competitive force.

    He remains the only South African to have lifted the UEFA Champions League trophy, achieving the historic feat with FC Porto in the 2003–04 season under the guidance the “special one” of Jose Mourinho.

    But will his experience at the highest levels of European football translate into success in the dugout? His coaching journey suggests he might just have what it takes.

    McCarthy began his coaching career in Belgium as an assistant at Sint-Truiden before taking over as head coach at Cape Town City. In 2018, he led the team to victory in the MTN 8 Cup, securing his first piece of silverware as a coach.

    His success continued at AmaZulu, where he masterminded the club’s best-ever league finish in the modern era, guiding them to second place in the 2020–21 DStv Premiership and earning them a place in the CAF Champions League.

    His immediate challenge will be revamping a squad that has under-performed in recent years. His first assignment is less than three weeks away, as Gabon comes calling in the 2026 World Cup qualifier in Nairobi. He also has to assemble the local boys for the CAF African Nations Championship (CHAN) 2025 in August.

    The Firat era was marked by inconsistency, with the team managing just seven wins in 23 matches under the Turkish tactician. An era that was marked with losses at crucial stages, disappointing show from the players, playing home games away from home and continuous lamentations from the coach targeting the players and the federation.

    Now, the pressure is on McCarthy to deliver results and restore pride to Kenyan football.

    McCarthy’s coaching philosophy revolves around attacking football, pressing high, and playing with intensity—traits he has emphasized throughout his managerial career. At Cape Town City and AmaZulu, his teams were known for their fluid passing and relentless attacking play.

    Kenyan football fans, who have long endured defensive and uninspiring performances, could see a more dynamic approach under his leadership.

    However, success will depend on more than just tactics. Harambee Stars have struggled with administrative instability, player selection controversies, and a lack of consistent squad development. Beyond the broader structural issues plaguing Kenyan football, McCarthy faces immediate on-field challenges with the national team:

    Goalkeeping conundrum

    One of the biggest problems is the goalkeeping situation. Bryne Omondiis currently the only goalkeeper of note in the team, and former international Boniface Oluoch has publicly acknowledged the country’s goalkeeping crisis.

    McCarthy will need to find a solution, whether by promoting young talents or scouting Kenyan-eligible goalkeepers from abroad.

    Heavy Olunga reliance

    There is also the issue of over-reliance on captainMichael Olunga, who plays in Qatar for goals. When Olunga is unavailable, the team’s attack falters, creating a ‘mini-crisis’ in finding the net.

    McCarthy will need to spread the goalscoring burden across the squad to ensure that the team does not crumble in Olunga’s absence.

    Ageing Akumu

    In midfield, McCarthy faces the impending retirement of long-serving defensive midfielder Teddy Akumu, who has been a vital player for the team for over a decade.

    While Akumu remains one of the Stars’ best performers, he has admitted that he is nearing the end of his career. Fortunately for McCarthy, Kenya has depth in this position, with players like Chris Erambo, Biron Otieno, Musa Oundo, and others waiting in the wings.

    Inadequte wingers

    The absence of natural wingers in the national team is another area of concern. Currently, players such as right-back Rooney Onyango and midfielders Timothy Ouma and Duke Abuya are being deployed in wide positions, but they are not natural wingers. McCarthy will need to address this issue by identifying or developing wingers, although the pool of available talent in this position is limited.

    One area where McCarthy could make an immediate impact is in player motivation. Known for his charismatic personality, he has the ability to instill belief in his squad. His presence alone could inspire players to elevate their game, much like how he galvanized AmaZulu to their historic CAF Champions League qualification.

    McCarthy’s appointment makes him only the third African coach from outside Kenya to manage Harambee Stars, following in the footsteps of Nigeria’s Christian Chukwu and Algerian-Belgian Adel Amrouche.

    Unlike his predecessors, who were assisted by natives on the technical bench, McCarthy is expected to bring his fellow Southerners on the fold. If talks in the South African media are anything to go by, he will be assisted by Vasili Manousakis, as Moeneeb Josephs takes over the goalkeepers coach’s duty. His trusted former colleague at Amazulu, Pilela Maposa, will take over performance analysis duties.