Benni McCarthy says AmaZulu will go all out to challenge for the CAF Champions League but is hoping for a favourable group stage draw.
The Usuthu head coach made history with the club when he took them from 12th place in the DStv Premiership towards a runners-up finish last season.
He quickly built on that success by guiding them to the Group Stage of Africa’s elite club competition.
And while he admits he’s achieved many of the targets he set out when joining the club – he believes his current crop of players can potentially go further now.
“When I joined the club I was very ambitious and I said my goal and my aim was to unsettle the top four in the league and I think it was possible with the winning mentality that I have, the mindset, the passion,” he said
“That’s what I instilled in the team. We sort of just went for it and when you have the craziness that I have and animated on the touchline – players know when they’re not performing, playing under par – I ain’t the easiest guy to play for.
“I’m the nicest guy you can get but just do your job, what you are supposed to do then you are fine. We did that and we had immediate success. Now that we reached second place and into the CAF Champions League group stage – why stop there?”
While McCarthy is confident and ambitious about the Champions League, he remains mindful of the incredible competition they face, especially from North Africa.
“We continue with the mindest, we want to achieve, we want to be amongst the best teams in the continent, we wanted that CAF Champions League group stage after finishing second after such a hard-fought year in the PSL.
“We achieved that and now we’re hoping for a favourable draw, teams we can compete against, teams we know we won’t shame ourselves [against]. In the group stages, there’s everything to play for, you want to win it.
“What’s the point of just participating and wasting everyone’s time, when you participate it’s because you think you have a shout at winning it and that’s what we want to do.
“We know it [looks] impossible after seeing Pitso and Al Ahly win the Super Cup, coming from a goal down and winning on penalties. So yeah we know what you are up against – formidable opponents but it’s a challenge for myself, as a young coach.
“It should be a challenge for the players also, up against players who will be at the FIFA World Cup with Egypt and so forth – so there’s all to play for.
“We have more to gain than to lose. We’re only AmaZulu – we’re far from where we want to be. There are teams with bigger resources and financial backing than we have.”
The draw which will take place on Tuesday afternoon in Cairo (13h00) will see the 16 qualified teams grouped.
Pot 1:
Al Ahly (Egypt)
Esperance (Tunisia)
Wydad AC (Morocco)
Raja AC (Morocco)
Pot 2:
Zamalek (Egypt)
Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)
Horoya AC (Guinea
Etoile du Sahel (Tunisia)
Pot 3:
Al Hilal (Sudan)
CR Belouizdad (Algeria)
Petro de Luanda (Angola)
ES Setif (Algeria)
Pot 4:
Al Merrikh (Sudan)
Sagrada Esperança (Angola)
Jwaneng Galaxy (Botswana)
AmaZulu (South Africa)
