Benni McCarthy has the potential to follow in the footsteps of three-time CAF Champions League winner Pitso Mosimane, according to SuperSport CEO Stan Matthews.
Mosimane has catapulted to global recognition since leaving Mamelodi Sundowns – where he won 11 titles, including five league-winners medals and the African champions league – for Al Ahly.
As the first black manager and non-Egyptian African to take charge of the club, he’s won back-to-back Champions Leagues, CAF Super Cups and the Egypt League Cup.
And Matthews, speaking via the On The Whistle Podcast, believes it was his exposure to European clubs and coaching methods, added to his experience with Bafana Bafana – that’s separated him from his peers in his homeland – something he believes McCarthy could have an advantage with too in his fledgling coaching career.
“Maybe now you could look at Benni, with his track record in playing and access to personalities and intellectual capital he has on a direct basis, whether it’s a Jose Mourinho, he’s put himself in a bracket where he can become a special coach,” Matthews said.
“Without the international exposure, flavour and modern trends, without spending time with the best practitioners in the game, who are in Europe right now, if you don’t do that then you can’t get to the level that Pitso is.
“You can get some of the ways there and you might be able to get there for a little bit – but to stay there, to fight the fight with Pyramids and Zamalek in Egypt, that’s a tough space to be, it’s a very exclusive club that can play in that space and put up with the environment, the language, the people, the culture.
“The hostility, passion of the Egyptian people is very high for their football, we as South Africans think we’re very passionate – but you only have to go to an Egyptian derby to realise that we’re very friendly and nice.
“Overseas it’s a do-or-die cut-throat business where half the country that relies on Pitso to deliver and half the country that completely despises him – it’s a tough space to be.”
McCarthy is the reigning Premier Soccer League (PSL) Coach of the Year after guiding AmaZulu to the 2020/21 league runners-up in his first season with the KZN outfit.
