Benni McCarthy could one day become the Bafana Bafana boss if dreams come true. Let’s spin back the playing career of a South African and Orlando Pirates great.
10 THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT BENNI MCCARTHY
- Benedict Saul “Benni” McCarthy was born in Cape Town and grew up in Hanover Park.
- Benni McCarthy is the first and only South African winner of the UEFA Champions League.
- On top of that, he also won domestic league titles in Portugal, the Netherlands and South Africa.
- McCarthy is Bafana Bafana’s all-time leading scorer with 31 strikes for the national team in 80 caps.
- Benni made his debut for South Africa in 1997 as a teenager under legendary manager Clive Barker.
- His playing career in Europe took him to Ajax, Celta Vigo, FC Porto, Blackburn Rovers and West Ham United.
- After he guided AmaZulu into the CAF Champions League in 2021, Benni was unofficially given the nickname Mr Benni Makathini, Zulu Warrior.
- Benni speaks four languages namely, English, Spanish, Dutch and Portuguese.
- McCarthy scored 18 goals in the 2006-07 Premier League season for Blackburn, ending as the second-top scorer. A certain Cristiano Ronaldo struck 17 times in that campaign.
- In October 2007, Benni McCarthy finished a sequence of scoring with 10 consecutive shots on target in the Premier League.
Other notable playing achievements
- Two-time Primeira Liga winner with Porto.
- Dutch Eredivisie champion with Ajax Amsterdam in 1998.
- Champion of South Africa with Orlando Pirates in 2011-12.
- Nedbank Cup and MTN8 winner in 2011, also with Pirates.
- Until 2023 when Lyle Foster made the switch to Burnley, Benni was the most expensive South African footballer of all time. He moved from Ajax to Celta Vigo for €6m in 1999.
Benni’s managerial acumen
Benni started his journey at Sint-Truiden where he was the Belgian club’s assistant coach from 2015 to 2016. He then presided over 89 matches at Cape Town City as their head coach, winning the MTN9 in 2018-2019. His next head coach role was with AmaZulu, a club he guided to the Caf Champions League for the first time in their history.
Old Trafford
All of those roles preceded arguably his biggest position to date; first-team attacking coach at Manchester United. With the 2023-2024 FA Cup now in his cabinet, Benni’s tasted success in the dugout on two occasions and will want more of that feeling.
Don’t be surprised if he’s in the dugout again soon. Right now, he’s without a club and there will be some suitors for his signature.
Finally, how can we ever forget when Benni collaborated with TKZee back in 1998?
Is Benni the greatest South African player in history? Is there even a debate?
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