During his glittering spell with Orlando Pirates, Bafana Bafana legend Benni McCarthy had to deal with all sorts of criticism at the top level.
Benni McCarthy is a human being like all of us
Benni McCarthy has been harshly criticized for his weight gain since switching from player to coach. It must be difficult to transition from elite athlete to tactician, though. Besides, how many of those throwing shade at Benni are in perfect shape themselves? Not many, I guess.
McCarthy’s bloated figure was the primary reason he parted ways with then-English Premiership club, West Ham, in April 2011. The Hammers ordered him to lose weight in three months to make the squad in the 2010-11 Premier League campaign.
Benni, who hails from Hanover Park township in Cape Town, first played in the domestic Premiership in 1997 for the Cape Town Spurs.
“I’ve changed my lifestyle and eating habits,” he said in 2011 when he was an Orlando Pirates player.
Weight issues affected Benni at Orlando Pirates
“I can’t even say how much I weighed because I never wanted to know. When I jumped onto the scale I was only happy to know that my weight was going down.
“I figured out that if I or other players can embark on a healthy diet, one can almost feel younger for longer. Our bodies are our weapons that we must look after.”
Notable achievements for Benni McCarthy as a player
- First and only South African UEFA Champions League winner with Porto in 2004.
- 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.
- All-time leading scorer for Bafana Bafana with 31 goals from 80 caps.
- 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 Scored 18 goals in 36 Premier League appearances in the 2006-07 season.
- In October 2007, Benni McCarthy finished a sequence of scoring with 10 consecutive shots on target in the Premier League.
Do you think elite athletes should deal with this type of criticism?
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