BENNI HAPPY TO WIN FIRST GAME
It was a great start for Benni McCarthy as AmaZulu coach leading
Usuthu to a 3-1 win over Chippa United in a DStv Premiership match
which he reckons was a ‘‘lovely game’’ of football featuring two teams
that were desperate for a win at King’s Park Stadium.
Not only did the match give McCarthy a perfect start at Usuthu, his
players responded very well to his instructions bringing smiles to
AmaZulu president Sandile Zungu, who was sitting on the stands.
This was McCarthy’s first game in charge since his recent appointment
as Usuthu coach after Ayanda Dlamini had stepped down as the club’s
mentor to go work with the development.
‘‘First game is like a honeymoon period. We just controlled the game
with relatively ease. It was just good for us to get to know each
other on the field. We were solid and we rightfully deserved the three
points,’’ McCarthy, who watched from the stands when Usuthu lost to
Lamontville Golden Arrows last Wednesday, said.
‘‘it was a dream start to be fair. On Wednesday we didn’t give a good
account of ourselves. With the quality that we have in the team I have
always been confident that if we can get to enjoy football then we will get the best out of them. Everyone was positive even when we were 1-0 down. (Luvuyo) Memela drove the team with his enthusiasm and scored goals. We had the artillery to hit back at Chippa.
‘‘I think it was a lovely game of football, two teams in need of three points. We had a go at them. I told the players to play with
enthusiasm. We started really, really well but didn’t take our first chance. Boom they scored, the ball fell kindly for a Chippa player. In life you get a lot of setbacks and you keep going. If we go 1-0 down we lift our heads and run harder.
‘‘It was nice to see that the players responded well to the message that was coming across to them. Two goals, we tried to keep it sturdy and stable. We managed to hit them on the counter, Memela got his second of the day.’’
On the other hand, Chilli Boys coach Lehlohonolo Seema has given credit to AmaZulu players for the manner in which they played during the match.
‘‘I could see they wanted to show their coach what they could do. We were second in every ball, they were sharper than us. We couldn’t match them, especially in the first half – a performance that we can forget about. Credit to coach Benni for driving the players to have an oomph,’’ said Seema.
The former Orlando Pirates and Bloemfontein Celtic defender reckons
that McCarthy’s return to coaching in the Premier Division augurs well for South African football.
‘‘I think for the league and South Africa it is good to have coach Benni McCarthy back. It was gonna be bad to lose to him completely.
AmaZulu have a good coach and will make the league exciting.’’
Meanwhile, McCarthy has disclosed why goalkeeper Veli Mothwa, who was signed from the Chilli Boys, didn’t make it to his match day squad.
‘‘Veli was unavailable because of injury. He had a little accident, had a swollen face. He had an allergic reaction to the dye of the hair he was using. His face was completely swollen, it was like he was in a boxing match,’’ McCarthy said.
Hanover Park-born McCarthy, who once played for FC Porto in Portugal, is happy to be back in professional football.
‘‘Being at home can kill you. I’m pleased that football has given me my life back. I will make the utmost of this. When this opportunity came I thought the project was ideal for me. We have a chairman, who
wants to conquer and achieve things. Who is better than me to take his team forward? I was eager and pleased to take that challenge,’’ McCarthy said.
