He played in the Uefa Champions League final against AS Monaco, scored a brace against giants Manchester United in the same competition and yet, amazingly, for him none of these massive matches compare to Saturday’s Soweto Derby at FNB Stadium.
“This (the Soweto Derby) is probably the biggest game I have played in,” an ecstatic Benni McCarthy said following his match-winning display against Kaizer Chiefs at FNB Stadium on Saturday.
“I have never been so nervous before a match and I didn’t understand why because I have played in the Champions League and at the World Cup before.
“This was the best atmosphere and I feel privileged to have been part of such a massive match,” the Orlando Pirates striker added.
The former FC Porto striker and Champions League winner may have admitted to being a nervous wreck prior to playing his first Soweto Derby, but that did not show at all on Saturday as he netted either side of Andile Jali’s 21st minute strike to lead Pirates to a 3-2 victory over their rivals. And, in the process, he picked up the coveted Man of the Match award.
While national team coach Pitso Mosimane continues to ignore calls for McCarthy to return to the Bafana Bafana squad, the the 34-year-old, who has rattled the net seven times in the league this season, has not ruled out the possibility of making a comeback if ever he is called.
He did, however, say there are a number of young players that should be selected for Bafana and not him.
“You saw the quality and talent that was out there. There was maybe 10 young players out there that are better than me.
“I don’t understand why they are not being called up to the national team and people are still calling for me.
“But I am a South African and I never said I would never play for the national team. It’s out of my control.
“It’s all in Safa’s and the selectors’ hands. But I say we have enough good young players to take national team forward, if only they select correctly and select players on merit,” Bafana’s all-time top scorer said.
Amakhosi coach Vladimir Vermezovic lauded McCarthy for his display and jokingly said that Chiefs would try to acquire the services of the veteran striker in the next transfer window period.
“Our young guys can learn from his performance. We will try and sign him in the next transfer window,” he laughed. – The Star