’When I meet Orlando Pirates, I want to win wholeheartedly’, says Benni McCarthy

Johannesburg - Benni McCarthy's career has made his name synonymous with passion. So much so that the AmaZulu coach says when his team faces any of his former employers, there’s extra passion that doesn’t allow him to hold back – to any invitation.

McCarthy, as a player, didn’t shy away from standing up for himself or speaking his mind - albeit how uncomfortable that may have been.

But even as a coach, McCarthy hasn’t deviated from his beliefs. Such that he’s stood up for his players and technical team who’ve, in return, fought for him on the pitch by getting the results – such as finishing second on the log last term.

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In his last season as a player, he wore his heart on his sleeve at Orlando Pirates, inspiring them to a domestic treble – the league, MTN8 and Telkom Knockout. And that’s why coaching against Pirates propels him to excel even more.

“Myself and my team are born competitors. With every game that we play, we don’t take anything granted, we want to win. When I played for Pirates, I played with everything, my heart and soul,” the Bafana all-time top goal scorer explained.

“Now I am at AmaZulu, or any team that I coach, I give the same commitment. Unfortunately, for the team that I played for, I want to do it even more. When I meet Pirates, I want to win wholeheartedly. That's why there’s more passion involved.

“And sometimes, the passion turns (into a brawl). When you win, they want to fight. And that’s where we don't sit-back, we accept the invitation. But it’s all love after the game. we have a lot of respect for each other - the coach and the club.”

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