A look at SA's football 'GOAT' Benni McCarthy's career

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Celebrated South African footballer, Benedict ‘Benni’ McCarthy, is trending against the backdrop of his birthday.

Despite being one of the most celebrated and followed stars from South Africa, Bennie McCarthy has managed to keep his private life under wraps, leaving many to guess even about his age.

BENNI MCCARTHY’S AGE REVEALED

Thanks to his huge following, Benni McCarthy often trends when he posts or gets posted. Benni McCarthy is trending after he took to Instagram to celebrate his birthday.

Taking to the picture-sharing app, the former Porto posted a photo and captioned, “Thanks for all the birthday messages appreciate them all .”

The post has gained thousands of comments and reactions since it dropped online. Fans, fellow athletes and celebrities were quick to flood his comments section with warm birthday wishes.

Award-winning on-air host DJ Sbu posted, “Blessed Birthday, My Brother.”

World Cup and Copa America winner Lisandro Martinez commented, ‘Te mereces lo mejor hermano! Eres un grande,’ which can be loosely translated to ‘You deserve the best, bro! You are a great.’

Against the backdrop of his birthday, The South African managed to connect the dots about his age, he has managed to keep under wraps. The 47-year-old star was born on 12 November in Cape Town.

Other fans quickly said they were celebrating South Africa’s Greatest of All Time star’s birthday. No doubt, this quickly implicated his illustrious career in the mix.

CAREER

Against the remarks, The South African has since connected the dots about Benni McCarthy’s illustrious career as a player and coach.

Benni McCarthy is arguably one of the most successful and decorated South African footballers. Over the years, several publications have referred to him as South Africa’s Greatest Footballer.

11 EUROPEAN TITLES, THREE LOCAL SILVERWARE AND EIGHT MAJOR INDIVIDUAL AWARDS

Apart from his flair and command of the game, he has a cabinet full of silverware to show for it. He boasts 11 European titles, three local titles, and eight individual accolades as a player.

However, Benni McCarthy also boasts with three major trophies as a coach. He won the MNT8 with Cape Town City in 2018.

On the other hand, he won big with Manchester United as a forwards coach and earned two major titles.

The celebrated gaffer has a rags-to-riches story to tell. Benni McCarthy grew up in the Cape Flats in Hanover Park, affectionately known for their ‘high crime rate’.

He started his professional footballing career at 17 with Seven Stars. With a career spanning years as a footballer, McCarthy managed to star for several teams, which include:

Seven Stars
Ajax
Celta Vigo
Porto
Blackburn Rovers
West Ham United
Orlando Pirates
Whitehill Welfare

McCarthy had his shot to fame with his colourful stint with Ajax.

During 2003-2004, he went down in the history books of the Champions League after Porto won the UEFA Champions League under Jose Mourinho.

COACHING

Back home, he managed to bring back lost glory for AmaZulu and Cape Town City. Benni McCarthy is part of the coaching team of the European giant Manchester United.