Mosimane tips Benni to be a future Bafana coach

MAMELODI Sundowns’ coach Pitso Mosimane described Benni McCarthy as a future Bafana Bafana coach, ahead of their titanic clash tomorrow when the Brazilians host Cape Town City at Loftus Versfeld.

The Brazilians and the Citizens will be looking to catch-up to the table-topping Bidvest Wits, who have led the pack for the most part of this campaign. Wits are two points ahead of Sundowns but the Tshwane giants have two games in hand. City on the other hand are not only three points behind third-placed Sundowns, but they’re also five points behind Wits. This week will go a long way in determining whether City are genuine title contenders. After facing Sundowns, they will then visit Wits at Bidvest Stadium on Saturday. Six points against these two teams will put them in first place.

“City is a good team. Benni shows that he wants it (the league). He is serious and I see a future Bafana Bafana coach,” Mosimane said.

The former Bafana mentor has a tough job in managing goalkeeper Denis Onyango, who sustained an injury against the Clever Boys on Saturday and before that committed a costly error against Polokwane City. The Ugandan has been a reliable figure for Sundowns in the past five years but he hasn’t been the same since the knee injury that sidelined him for a lengthy spell last year.

“He has been unfortunate,” Mosimane said. “I heard he is thinking that the (Africa) Cup of Nations should be his last tournament for Uganda, he is 33 now. He wants to focus on Sundowns. It’s hard when you have injuries like this. But we support Uganda. I am not the coach who would say ‘don’t play for your national team’. But sometimes when they call him up to play against Comoros... you know what I am trying to say. They must save him because I would love for him to continue playing for Uganda.”

Onyango recently committed to Sundowns by signing a four-and-a-half contract extension that will see him stretch his stay in Chloorkop to over a decade. But in the meantime, Sundowns need a figure who will step up.

Kennedy Mweene has proved to be a reliable, and has been the club’s best goalkeeper this season while Onyango worked his way back from injury.

Mosimane will need a safe pair of hands against the Citizens who are the in-form team among the contenders. City have scored the most goals in the league, and collected 12 points out of a possible 15 in their last five matches while the top three – Wits, Sundowns and Pirates – all dropped points in the same period.

Sundowns have to make the most of their games in hand if they’re to win title No. 9 in the PSL era. McCarthy’s City are also aiming big having punched above their weight in their short history. What should give Mosimane confident is that Phakamani Mahlambi, who joined Sundowns from Al-Ahly, is slowly finding his feet. Mahlambi scored in the 1-1 draw with Wits.

“He is raw, raw, raw. We are starting to coach him how to play football at the club.” Mosimane said. “He’s got the speed, he can shoot and score.”