Hunt backs his former star

Gavin Hunt, the coach of Absa Premiership champions Bidvest Wits, has backed Benni McCarthy (right) to do well at Cape Town City, after the former Bafana Bafana striker was appointed head coach of the club last week.

Hunt gave McCarthy his debut for Seven Stars at the age of 17 and now the pair are set to face off against each other in opposite dugouts when Wits take on McCarthy’s City next season.

“You know you are getting old when you see players you started with becoming coaches,” joked Hunt.

“But it is good for the game, it is good to see ex-players, and a player of his stature come and work in the local league. It is a great appointment from that perspective and I wish him well, but not when we play each other!”

McCarthy has certainly followed the correct training path in becoming a head coach – he has completed his Uefa A License and is in the process of doing the Uefa Pro Licence.

“He has done all the badges. Although you can do as many of those as you like, it is not the same until you do the real thing,” added Hunt.

“But no doubt he has gone through all that and this is a great opportunity for him to work for a good club that has done well, with an ambitious chairman. I think it is a good platform for him to launch his coaching career, I am sure he wants to end up back in Europe and this can be a good stepping-stone.”