Manchester United have roped in South Africa’s only European Championship League winner Benni McCarthy to the senior team as a coach alongside Erik Ten Hag.
Sunday | July 31, 2022
It is not common for a South African to make headlines in the international football arena in recent memory. Even when it happens, the news is not associated with a move to a top-flight league club, much less one of the biggest football brands in Europe.
However, as McCarthy goes to manage on a global stage, his name is a familiar mention in Europe. He is one of SA’s most talented exports of all time in the field of play regarding banging in goals. This time though he rebounds in the England as a technical acquisition by one of the biggest clubs by fan base. Manchester United Football Club (MUFC). Although the club’s dominance has paled in recent years, they are associated with notching up the English Premier League many titles and cups in and outside England during Sir Alex Ferguson era.
Former South Africa international marksman Benedict, better known as “Benni”, McCarthy secured one of the top jobs in Europe at MUFC. The club announced on Saturday that McCarthy will come in as a “first-team manager” responsible mainly for the attacking and/or strike force.
Image cred: News24
McCarthy is the former AmaZulu FC (2020/2021) and Cape Town City (2017/2018) head coach in the Premier Soccer League in SA. His move to one of the elite leagues in Europe comes after a recess having been dismissed by AmaZulu for poor performance. The football fraternity was spellbound to learn of his sacking given how he inspired AmaZulu to finish second behind 2020/2021 league victors Mamelodi Sundowns FC and thus, participated in the continental African Champions League.
However, McCarthy’s coaching ascendency took off after a two-season spell (2011/2013) at Orlando Pirates where he ended his journey as a player. Before returning home in 2011 to join Pirates, the former lethal striker donned the West Ham United (2006-2010) and Blackburn Rovers (2010-2011) jerseys in the English Premier League. His remarkable career had gotten a heavy lift when he won the European Champions League with FC Porto of Portugal in the 2003/2004 campaign.
Ironically, McCarthy masterminded Manchester United’s elimination at Old Trafford where he will be in the dugout. After that United outstanding show, they went on to trash Monaco FC of France 3-0 at Arena AufSchalke in Gelsenkirchen, Germany in 2004. José Mourinho was his manager at Porto and would later congratulate him on his coaching exploits in SA.
McCarthy winning UEFA CL in 2004 – Image cred: be IN SPORTS
In Europe, McCarthy cut his teeth at Ajax Amsterdam in the Netherlands in 1997. By then, McCarthy had played for Seven Stars and Cape Town Spurs who later merged into Ajax Cape Town. And in 1999, he went to Spanish side Celta Vigo until 2002 where he joined Porto until 2006. In 2010, McCarthy was snubbed by the former Brazilian coach Carlos Albert Parreira (SA head coach then) and he could not represent his country in the first FIFA (Federation of International Football Association) world cup organized in Africa and staged in home soil.
With his omission in the SA world cup squad gave McCarthy an opportune time to sharing his knowledge and experience by taking up commentary from the mainstream local and international broadcasters.
Image cred: African Football
Managerial rise
Benni McCarthy’s coaching career took off Sint-Truidense Voetbalvereniging (STVV) in the the Belgium premier league in his capacity assistant manager. He led Cape Town City to their maiden MTN 8 cup honours in 2018.
At the age of 44, McCarthy is going to teamed up with the newly appointed former Ajax manager Erik Ten Hag. Likewise, the Cape Town-born’s 31 the senior national team record is unbroken. Boosting a EUFA CL silverware and two league championships with Porto and one apiece at Ajax Amsterdam and Pirates, he remains one of the greatest exports ever to emerge out of Africa.