It looks like AmaZulu coach Benni McCarthy strongly believes that a rolling stone gathers no moss.
The Usuthu mentor reckons that playing home matches at different venues in Durban is not good for his team.
McCarthy said this following his team’s goalless draw with Marumo Gallants in a DStv Premiership encounter at the King Zwelithini Stadium in Umlazi, Durban, on Thursday.
“We had to settle for a point, we take the point and move on,” the former Cape Town City coach said.
“I think as a club you create stability. You can’t move from one venue to the next venue. We play games at Moses Mabhida one week, we play at King’s Park then move on to King Zwelithini.”
McCarthy didn’t hide what he feels about the King Zwelithini Stadium, a venue in Umlazi where Usuthu boss Sandile Zungu hails from.
“Of course, it’s destabilising. We’ve never trained here, we’ve never played here. As much as it is in Durban, it’s a pitch we use for the first time this season. The home advantage go out the window,” McCarthy said.
The match was played on Thursday after referee Kristopher Kistoor called it off on Wednesday because both Usuthu and Gallants wore similar colours. This came as a result of Gallants arriving in Durban with only one kit. AmaZulu wore their white away kit on Thursday.
“You have the debacle where you play 10 minutes, then the game gets abandoned due to the opposition not having a second kit, then you are asked to go home and come back the next day. It’s just a mock-up and then you are asked to motivate players,” he said.
According to Article 17.2 of the National Soccer League (NSL) Handbook, both member clubs must take their official team outfit as well as their alternative team outfit to all matches, 17.3 says the onus is on the visiting team to ascertain the colours of the home team and 17.4 says if in the opinion of the referee the colours of the two opposing teams may lead into confusion, the visiting team will change into their alternative outfit or a combination of the two outfits. In exceptional circumstances the referee may order the home team to change all or part of their outfit.
