AmaZulu coach Benni McCarthy has broken his silence on the saga around Siyethemba Sithebe, who wants to leave the club to join Kaizer Chiefs.
Usuthu president Sandile Zungu addressed the situation at large during the unveiling of the club’s new signings Abbubaker Mobara and Abraham Mojak on Thursday, accusing Chiefs of improper conduct and insisted the player will not feature for the club again.
McCarthy, though, stated that as long as Sithebe is contracted to AmaZulu, he considers him one of his players.
“You have the chairman there, so [ask him] if he’s willing to comment on that,” McCarthy said, when asked whether he will select Sithebe.
“As a coach, I try not to involve myself in that. Emotionally, I’m already involved in players when they come to training.
“That’s my expertise level where I can deal with. I don’t to involve [myself] and talk to players about money because I don’t think it’s fair for me to know what goes on, what players earn
“Because coaches are sometimes evil. If you know how much a player earns and he has one bad game, then you want hold it against the player. It’s best I stay away from those kind of things.
“The club deals with that and whatever goes on there is above my pay grade. But when it comes to on the training pitch and on the field, that’s where I [get involved].
“If a player gives me 100%, if he works hard, then of course I have to consider him. Because as far as I’m concerned he is an AmaZulu player, until 5th of June or 5th of July comes and his contract finishes and he is no longer an AmaZulu player and we will then end our relationship with him. For now, he is my player, an AmaZulu player.”
McCarthy reiterated that he expects the player to give his all and that no player is bigger than the club.
“That’s when my relationship with the player becomes none-and-void. But up until now, he is my player, he’s an AmaZulu player,” he added.
“He must come to training every day and he’s expected to give his 100% and more. He must want to put on that shirt and if he’s not willing to do that, he’s got a problem with me.
“He won’t play, he won’t be selected, because names mean absolutely nothing to me. The day you can say you can compete, you’ve achieved more in life than me, then I bow down. Up until then, no name counts nothing, no one is bigger than the team. That’s how it works and it counts for everyone.”
