Benni McCarthy, a football legend with a remarkable career at clubs like Bafana Bafana, Porto, and Orlando Pirates, has left a lasting impact on the sport. But what is the icon up to now?
Since stepping down as the forward coach at Manchester United in June 2024, Benni has been without a club and is carefully considering his next move. There have been rumors linking him to potential coaching roles in Major League Soccer (MLS) in the United States. Benni’s coaching career started as an assistant at Sint-Truiden in Belgium, before he took on head coach roles at Cape Town City (where he led the team to MTN8 victory in 2018-2019) and AmaZulu, where he guided Usuthu to the CAF Champions League. He also enjoyed success at Manchester United, winning the EFL Cup in 2023 and the FA Cup in 2024.
In an interview with Daily Maverick in December 2024, Benni shared his thoughts on his future:
“My mindset is elsewhere. But I’m not closing any doors to coming back home or anywhere else in Africa. My ambitions are extremely high. The MLS, the Premier League, La Liga, the Portuguese league… That’s where I’m looking to go next.”
Benni’s achievements as a player are legendary. He remains South Africa’s only UEFA Champions League winner, securing the title with Porto in 2004. He also won two Primeira Liga titles with Porto and the Dutch Eredivisie with Ajax in 1998. On top of that, he led Orlando Pirates to the South African league title in 2011-12 and won the Nedbank Cup and MTN8 in the same year.
As Bafana Bafana’s all-time leading scorer with 31 goals from 80 caps, Benni also held the title of South Africa’s most expensive footballer until 2023, when Lyle Foster moved to Burnley. Benni’s time in the Premier League saw him score 18 goals in the 2006-07 season, and in October 2007, he achieved a rare feat of 10 consecutive shots on target.
In a recent appearance on the On The Whistle Podcast, Benni discussed the current state of Bafana Bafana under coach Hugo Broos. He acknowledged the potential of the young squad and their strong AFCON 2023 run but also recognized the team’s shortcomings. Despite South Africa’s struggles in recent years, including not qualifying for World Cups, he believes the current generation has the potential to achieve more.
“I don’t know if they have the right manager, but whichever right man comes in, hopefully, he can take this group of players to the next level,” Benni said.
With his experience and insight into the game, Benni McCarthy may very well be the right man to help Bafana reach their full potential in the future.
