Benni McCarthy breaks silence on possible move to Mamelodi Sundowns.
McCarthy has officially addressed the rumours linking him to the head coach position at Mamelodi Sundowns after a meeting with their representatives, as first reported by The South African.
Speaking at the Carling Black Label media event in Sandton on Tuesday, where he served as an ambassador, McCarthy clarified that the speculation surrounding a potential move to Sundowns is entirely unfounded.
McCarthy, South Africa’s all-time leading goal scorer, confirmed a recent meeting with Sundowns’ sporting director, Flemming Berg, but emphasized that it had nothing to do with coaching talks.
While rumours have circulated linking McCarthy to Sundowns, he was quick to put the record straight. McCarthy explained that, although he met Flemming Berg, the conversation was casual and had nothing to do with the head coaching job.
“They were saying Benni is coming to Kaizer Chiefs, it was just rumours. I’ve not spoken to Sundowns. There has been no dialogue between me and the team. That’s firstly out of the way, and I think they’ve got coaches there that are experienced,” McCarthy stated, as quoted by FARPost.
How a meeting with Berg sparked speculation
The origins of the Sundowns rumours appear to stem from an accidental meeting between McCarthy and Berg in London. McCarthy clarified that he was on his way to Wales for coaching badges when he and Berg crossed paths at the airport. He stressed that their conversation was nothing more than a friendly chat about South African football and had no connection to a coaching opportunity at Sundowns.
“I was travelling to my coaching badges somewhere, so I had to go to Wales, so I went via London,” McCarthy explained. “We met at the airport; it was just a normal chat. It wasn’t about Sundowns having an opening; the conversation was nowhere near, or I didn’t get any feeling.”
McCarthy reflects on his past encounter with Berg
During their casual chat, McCarthy and Berg reminisced about their past, with Berg recalling McCarthy’s time at FC Porto. McCarthy won the UEFA Champions League with Porto in 2004, and Berg, who was working as an international scout for Chelsea at the time, had watched McCarthy play.
“He came to watch. We met a few times, but I was younger then and couldn’t remember. So, we were just talking in general about South African football, and that was it,” McCarthy shared.
McCarthy concluded by acknowledging the success of Mamelodi Sundowns under their current coaching staff. He pointed out that the club is dominating the league and is clearly satisfied with its coaching team.
“I can see why people put one and one together and come up with two. That could be the case, but it wasn’t like that. I think they seem to be happy with the coaches they [Sundowns] have, and they should be. They are on top of the league again for the seventh year in a row or longer.”
With McCarthy’s clarification, it’s clear that his focus remains on his coaching journey, and any potential future with Mamelodi Sundowns is far from certain.
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