CAPE TOWN – Benni McCarthy enjoyed great success as a player, but what can we expect from him as a coach?
The former Bafana Bafana striker received a warm, enthusiastic welcome when announced as the new head coach of Cape Town City at a press conference in the Mother City on Tuesday morning.
Fully aware of the challenges he faces in his first stint in charge of a football club, McCarthy was adamant that he wanted to be himself; he wanted to plot a coaching career that was in tune with his own personality rather than just be a carbon copy of the many coaches he had played under during his successful years on the European football stage.
Benni McCarthy explains his reaction when John Comitis called him in Scotland to offer him the Cape Town City job. Video: Ashfak Mohamed
“I had the honour of playing for some fantastic coaches over the years,” said McCarthy. “At Ajax Amsterdam, there was Co Adriaanse, he was very good. When he left, I played briefly under Louis van Gaal – he was a firm coach, a disciplinarian, but he had the respect of the players. Then came Morten Olsen, and as a young player, he was the best coach I could have had. He had time to nurture players and give them the proper education to be successful.
So proud to be the new head coach of @CapeTownCityFC #iamCityFC #TheFutureIsNow pic.twitter.com/aDGiA6QMP9
— Benni McCarthy (@bennimccarthy17) June 13, 2017
“But the best was Jose Mourinho, from my time at FC Porto. He was very efficient in everything he did, he was a born winner, a trophy man. More importantly, he was a players’ manager and always had harmony in the squad.
“In my role as a coach, I have stolen a little bit from all coaches I’ve worked with. But, in the end, I still want to be myself – I want to take what I’ve learnt and incorporate it into my own style of coaching.”